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Horm Metab Res 2005; 37(6): 347-354
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-870135
Review
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Clinical and Genetic Features of Familial Pituitary Adenomas

A.  F.  Daly1 , M.-L.  Jaffrain-Rea2 , A.  Beckers1
  • 1Department of Endocrinology, C.H.U. de Liège, Liège, Belgium
  • 2Department of Experimental Medicine, University of l’Aquila, Italy
Further Information

Publication History

Received 24 December 2004

Accepted after revision 30 January 2005

Publication Date:
07 July 2005 (online)

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Abstract

Inherited or familial pituitary tumor syndromes such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 and Carney complex provide an important insight into the genetics and molecular pathology of endocrine cancers. Our understanding of these conditions is expanding rapidly due to the identification of the genes and proteins affected and the availability of murine knockout models. The successes achieved to date in understanding multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 and Carney complex have helped in the identification and study of new inherited pituitary tumor syndromes such as isolated familial somatotropinomas. This review assesses the current status of research into the clinical features, genetics and molecular pathologies of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1, Carney complex, and isolated familial somatotropinomas, and details ongoing work to delineate familial isolated pituitary adenomas, a potentially new clinical entity.

Key words

Pituitary - Tumor - Adenoma - Familial

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Prof. A. Beckers M. D., Ph. D.

Department of Endocrinology

C.H.U. de Liège · Domaine Universitaire du Sart Tilman · 4000 Liège · Belgium

Phone: +32 (4) 366 70 84

Fax: +32 (4) 366 72 61

Email: albert.beckers@chu.ulg.ac.be