Novel aspects in histopathology of the pituitary gland

The sellar and parasellar region is a complex anatomical area in which several diseases may develop. The pituitary gland may be affected by a wide range of conditions having similar clinical characteristics. Diagnosis of these lesions requires a multidisciplinary approach including, in addition to clinical, laboratory, imaging, and surgical findings, histological diagnosis of pituitary adenomas to guide therapeutic management. As the result of development in recent years of new immunohistochemical techniques, histopathological classification has become more complex and wide, and not only continues to be the gold standard in diagnosis, but also has prognostic implications. The aim of this review is to provide a clear and simple update of the main concepts of histological diagnosis of the most common pituitary conditions, especially for professionals in direct contact with such diseases.