Pituitary apoplexy manifested during a bromocriptine test in a patient with a growth hormone- and prolactin-producing...

This report describes the clinical course of pituitary apoplexy induced by a single dose of bromocriptine in a 50-year-old woman with acromegaly. The patient suddenly complained of diminished vision and headache 2 hours after the oral administration of 2.5 mg of bromocriptine. Her visual symptoms and headache persisted for several days. The basal plasma GH concentration decreased from 76.2 ng/ml to 37.2 ng/ml the day after the attack of apoplexy and to 3.0 ng/ml on the 9th day. The authors assess the changes in endocrine findings related to pituitary apoplexy and also emphasize the necessity to view with caution any symptomatic change during bromocriptine therapy.