This Article Full Text (PDF) Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bromley, J. F. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Bromley, J. F.

The Indications for and Effects of Irradiation of the Pituitary Gland

Consulting Radiologist to the Royal Air Force

This excerpt was created in the absence of an abstract.

A Convenient basis for discussion is afforded by Denis Williams' (1940) classification in Cade's Malignant Disease and its Treatment by Radium. Williams points out that tumours of the gland itself are almost invariably simple adenomata, and tumours of the hypophyseal duct are usually slowly growing neoplasms of congenital origin.

Adenomata.

1. Chromophobe.

2. Eosinophil.

3. Mixed.

4. Basophil.

Adenocarcinomata.

Craniopharyngiomata (Adamantinomata).

Papillary cysts.

Carcinomata.

Frankly at first sight, they appear a depressing collection for the radiation therapist. I feel that in dealing with them our clinical colleagues are inclined to ask from us at once too much and too little. Too much because a large number of these tumours are resistant to radiation or only slightly sensitive, and the delivery of a large dose of radiation of the order of 3000 to 4000 röntgens or even more at the pituitary gland is not a procedure to be undertaken lightly either by the patient or the radiologist. It demands careful and tedious planning and technique which call for an assurance that definite improvement of symptoms will result. On the other hand the services of the radiation therapist are too little in demand for certain symptoms which I believe to be due to excessive hormonal secretion by the gland, and where much smaller doses can often afford striking relief.

At the outset I would like to make it clear that radiation therapy in endocrinology should only be undertaken by a closely collaborating team of whom the radiologist is one member.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. J. Koehler and C. J. Boes A history of non-drug treatment in headache, particularly migraine Brain, August 1, 2010; 133(8): 2489 - 2500. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]