PNA Highlights January 2023 | Pituitary Network Association - International non-profit organization for patients with pituitary tumors and disorders

PNA Spotlight: Dr. Brian Williams

This month the PNA Spotlight focuses on Dr. Brian Williams, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Louisville, where he leads the Division of Neurosurgical Oncology, Skull Base Surgery and Pituitary Surgery. Dr. Williams earned his medical degree from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He did a residency in neurological surgery at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, followed by a fellowship in Neurosurgical Oncology at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston. He also pursued specialty training in cerebrovascular and skull base surgery at the Auckland City Hospital in New Zealand. He was kind enough to answer some questions from the PNA. His answers are below

News Articles June 2026

Woman diagnosed with both Cushing’s Disease and Syndrome

An study in Cureus details the rare case of a Moroccan woman diagnosed with both Cushing’s Disease and Cushing’s Syndrome. She had been self-medicating with dexamethasone. Read more: https://www.cureus.com/articles/494214-is-it-possible-to-have-coexisting-exogenous-and-endogenous-cushings-syndrome#!/

Real Housewife, former beauty queen tells her pituitary story

Kelsey Swanson, a cast member of Real Housewives of Rhode Island and a former Miss Rhode Island discusses her battle with a pituitary tumor in an article in Yahoo.com. Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv/articles/breaking-down-rhori-kelsey-swanson-150326808.html

Study links radiotherapy to increased mortality in pituitary patients

An article in Medscape looks at a study on radiotherapy in patients with pituitary tumors and found increased mortality rates. Read more: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/increased-mortality-after-radiotherapy-pituitary-adenoma-2026a1000gmy

Pituitary mass mistaken for migraine in expectant mother

An article in the Times of India explains the case of a pregnant woman with debilitating headaches and vision loss. Doctors initially thought she had migraines, when it turned out to be a suprasellar mass. Read more: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/health/severe-headache-during-pregnancy-turned-out-to-be-a-1-in-9-million-pituitary-disorder-after-symptoms-were-mistaken-for-migraine/articleshow/131293833.cms

Research Articles June 2026

Pituitary Tumors

Pituitary adenomas associated with hydrocephalus: clinical characteristics, risk stratification, and clinical management.

Zhou W, Yu M, Cheng S, Zhu H, Cao L, Li Z, Liu C, Bai J, Zhao P, Zhang Y, Gui S, Li C.J Neurooncol. 2026 May 29;178(1):31. doi: 10.1007/s11060-026-05653-w.

Organoids as next-generation models for investigating intracranial tumours.

Roy S, Zahin F, Nkrumah-Boateng PA, Chaudhry S, Nassor M, Kwarteng MFA, Owusu-Boampong AB, Wireko AA.Mol Brain. 2026 May 30. doi: 10.1186/s13041-026-01317-y. Online ahead of print.PMID: 42218467 Review.

Enhancing brain tumor classification with a simplified CNN through hyperparameter optimization.

Remzan N, Tahiry K, Farchi A, Arbi A.Biomed Phys Eng Express. 2026 May 29. doi: 10.1088/2057-1976/ae74d5. Online ahead of print.PMID: 42214387

LAT1-mediated amino acid metabolism reprogramming: a novel metabolic vulnerability in recurrent pituitary neuroendocrine tumors.

Pei ZJ, Li GW, Yu JH, Yang HR, Fang Y, Zhou LX.Endocr Connect. 2026 May 29:EC-25-0860. doi: 10.1530/EC-25-0860. Online ahead of print.

Osteometabolic complications in patients with secreting pituitary adenomas: Is there an impact of gender?

di Filippo L, Acanfora M, Bolamperti S, Terenzi U, Bonomo M, Giustina A.Pituitary. 2026 May 29;29(3):96. doi: 10.1007/s11102-026-01667-9.

The hook effect in macroprolactinomas: tumor size thresholds, prolactin patterns, and clinical consequences – a systematic review.

Yadav P, Hamrahian AH, Salvatori R.Pituitary. 2026 May 29;29(3):98. doi: 10.1007/s11102-026-01705-6.

Pituitary Surgery

Systematic anatomical validation of the endoscopic mononostril transethmoid-paraseptal approach to the central skull base.

Eördögh M, Weidemeier M, Baksa G, Patonay L, Simmen D, Schroeder HWS, El Refaee E, Hosemann W, Reisch R, Briner HR.Brain Spine. 2026 May 15;6:106092. doi: 10.1016/j.bas.2026.106092. eCollection 2026.

Pituitary apoplexy

Management-specific outcome evaluation of pituitary apoplexy; conservative and surgical approach.

Guijt MC, Verstegen MJT, Zamanipoor Najafabadi AH, Bakker LEH, Notting IC, Pelsma ICM, van Furth WR, Biermasz NR, Claessen KMJA.Pituitary. 2026 May 29;29(3):97. doi: 10.1007/s11102-026-01695-5.

Acromegaly

Speckle-tracking echocardiography reveals the synergistic impact of GH/IGF-1 excess and metabolic dysregulation on cardiac dysfunction in acromegaly.

Chen M, Zhang P, He W, Jin J, Huang R, Liao Z, Xiao H, Yao F, Li Y, Li H.Pituitary. 2026 May 29;29(3):95. doi: 10.1007/s11102-026-01684-8.

Cushing’s disease

Real-Time PCR-Based Intraoperative Molecular Boundary Diagnosis of Corticotroph Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors.

Sato Y, Takeuchi K, Ohka F, Nagata Y, Maeda S, Matsuyama T, Hirose T, Deguchi S, Okumura E, Iwami K, Saito R.J Neurosci Methods. 2026 May 28:110814. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2026.110814. Online ahead of print.PMID: 42214473

Hyperprolactinemia

Transient Hyperprolactinemia Associated With Semaglutide in a Patient With Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

Guimarães GNF.Case Rep Med. 2026 May 27;2026:3016596. doi: 10.1155/carm/3016596. eCollection 2026.

Hormonal Health

Genetic Insights Into AVP Deficiency: Identification of a Novel AVP Variant and Compilation of a Curated Catalogue of Pathogenic Variants.

Joseph J, Søndergaard E, Knorr S, Knudsen JH, Rittig S, Christensen JH.Clin Genet. 2026 May 29. doi: 10.1111/cge.70183. Online ahead of print.