| Additional Info: |
A clear understanding of the lobular nature and arcuating vascular network of the normal anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis) is fundamental to being able to diagnose abnormalities of the pituitary. Adenomas manifest a loss of this architecture (in contrast to the paragangliomas in which this network of vessels producing a "zellballen" effect is accentuated. Also the hormone pattern of an adenoma is typically profusely positive while the normal is more checkerboard in immunoreacivity |