Lymphocytic hypophysitis with a long latent period before development of a pituitary mass.

Background: Lymphocytic hypophysitis is an autoimmune condition that commonly presents in women of childbearing age as hypopituitarism and a sellar mass.

Methods: A 66-year-old woman presented with anterior pituitary dysfunction. Computed tomography imaging revealed a small hypodensity that was not felt to be the cause of the pituitary dysfunction. Eight years later, her vision rapidly deteriorated and MRI showed a pituitary mass lesion causing optic chiasm compression. Histological examination of the partially resected gland revealed evidence of lymphocytic hypophysitis.

Conclusions: Our patient is an example of the variable presentation and course of lymphocytic hypophysitis. Such a long latent period between the initial presentation of adenohypophysial hypofunction and optic chiasm compression due to an enlarging pituitary mass has not been reported.