Faculty and students publish new review on tumours of the hypothalamus and neurohypophysis

A paper led by graduate-entry MD students Alexia Kesta, Omar Itani and Yahya Wehbeh, in collaboration with Dr Dimitrios Kanakis, Professor of Pathology at the Medical School, has recently been published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

The review examines tumours of the posterior pituitary and hypothalamus of the brain, highlighting the diagnostic challenges they present due to their similarities to pituitary neuroendocrine tumours. It provides an overview of the latest WHO classification framework, which distinguishes these tumours according to their cell of origin, and outlines a practical diagnostic approach that combines anatomical, pathological and immunohistochemical findings to improve diagnostic accuracy.

The authors emphasise that accurate classification is important not only for diagnosis but also for patient management. Some of these tumours can be difficult to remove completely and may require long-term imaging surveillance and endocrine follow-up. The review also discusses recent molecular discoveries that may help identify patients at greater risk of tumour progression and guide future treatment strategies.

The article concludes by highlighting the need for large-scale collaborative studies that integrate clinical, imaging, pathological, and molecular data. Such efforts could improve risk assessment and support the development of evidence-based treatment approaches for these rare tumours.