Table 2 Morphological classification of pituitary adenomas.
| Tumour | Transcription factor | Hormones | Cam 5.2 keratin staining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adenomas containing GH | Pit‐1 | ||
| Somatotroph adenomas | GH | ||
| Densely granulated | α‐subunit | Perinuclear | |
| Sparsely granulated | Fibrous bodies | ||
| Mammosomatotroph adenomas | GH, PRL, α‐subunit | ||
| Mixed somatotroph–lactotroph adenomas | |||
| Plurihormonal GH‐producing adenomas | GH, PRL α‐subunit, β‐TSH | ||
| Adenomas containing PRL | Pit‐1 | ||
| Lactotroph adenomas | PRL | ||
| Sparsely granulated | PRL (Golgi pattern) | ||
| Densely granulated | PRL (diffuse) | ||
| Acidophil stem cell adenomas | PRL, GH | Fibrous bodies | |
| Adenomas containing TSH | Pit‐1, TEF GATA‐2 | ||
| Thyrotroph adenomas | α‐subunit, β‐TSH | ||
| Adenomas containing ACTH | Tpit | ||
| Densely granulated | ACTH | ||
| Sparsely granulated | ACTH | ||
| Crookes' cell adenoma | ACTH | Dense bands | |
| Adenomas containing gonadotropins | SF‐1, ER, GATA‐2 | ||
| Gonadotroph adenomas | α‐subunit, β‐FSH, β‐LH | ||
| Plurihormonal adenomas | Multiple | ||
| Silent subtype 3 | Multiple | ||
| Unusual | Multiple | ||
| Hormone‐negative adenomas | None | ||
| Null‐cell adenomas | None |
ACTH, adrenocorticotrophic hormone; ER, oestrogen receptor; FSH, follicle‐stimulating hormone; GATA‐2, GH, growth hormone; PRL, prolactin; SF‐1, steroidogenic factor‐1; TEF, thyrotroph embryonic factor.