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Pituitary apoplexy in a teenager--case report
Chen-Cheng Chao1, Chun-Ju Lin2
1Department of Ophthalmology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan.
Background:
Pituitary apoplexy is a rare clinical emergency which results from hemorrhage or infarction in the pituitary gland.
Patient:
We present a 14-year-old girl with pituitary apoplexy and review the literature.
Results:
Our patient experienced blurred vision, nausea, and headache. Her best-corrected visual acuity was 20/200 and 20/20. Confrontation test visual field testing revealed bitemporal hemianopsia. Brain imaging demonstrated a suprasellar mass. The microscopic endonasal transsphenoidal approach only found 5-10 mL brownish fluid-like material. Pathology confirmed no malignancy. Pituitary apoplexy was diagnosed. Her nausea and headache gradually improved. Six months after operation, her best-corrected visual acuity had improved to 20/30 and 20/20.
Conclusions:
Although pituitary apoplexy is rare in pediatric patients, prompt evaluation including detailed ophthalmic examination, biochemical evaluation, endocrine workup, and image study are very important.