[Pituitary abscess. Study of a case and review of the literature]

The authors report one case of pituitary abscess; the diagnosis of which was particularly difficult due to its association to a multiple sclerosis that began twelve years before. A review of thirty-one pituitary abscess reported in the literature from 1970 to 1985 is made. Opto-chiasmatic compression is observed in fifty-five per cent of the cases, pituitary insufficiency in fifty-five per cent, and meningitis in sixty per cent of the cases. Although the characteristic association of meningitis and pituitary tumor symptoms occur in thirty per cent of the cases, the diagnosis is made at surgery. Pituitary adenoma and craniopharyngioma were the most frequent preoperative misdiagnosis for pituitary abscess. The extended use of cerebral C.T. Scan will allow an easier recognition of this rare entity. The discussion includes life and visual prognosis. The etiology remains unexplained in nearly half of the cases.