scholarly journals Spontaneous retroclival hematoma in pituitary apoplexy: case series

2015 ◽  
Vol 123 (3) ◽  
pp. 808-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avetis Azizyan ◽  
Joseph M. Miller ◽  
Ramzi I. Azzam ◽  
Marcel M. Maya ◽  
Pouyan Famini ◽  
...  

OBJECT Pituitary apoplexy is a rare and potentially life-threatening disorder that is most commonly characterized by a combination of sudden headache, visual disturbance, and hypothalamic/hormonal dysfunction. In many cases, there is hemorrhagic infarction of an underlying pituitary adenoma. The resulting clinical symptoms are due to compression of the remaining pituitary, cavernous sinuses, or cranial nerves. However, there are only 2 case reports in the literature describing spontaneous retroclival expansion of hemorrhage secondary to pituitary apoplexy. Ten cases of this entity with a review of the literature are presented here. METHODS This is a single-institution retrospective review of 2598 patients with sellar and parasellar masses during the 10-year period between 1999 and 2009. The pituitary and brain MRI and MRI studies were reviewed by 2 neuroradiologists for evidence of apoplexy, with particular attention given to retroclival extension. RESULTS Eighteen patients (13 men and 5 women; mean age 54 years) were identified with presenting symptoms of sudden onset of headache and ophthalmoplegia, and laboratory findings consistent with pituitary apoplexy. Ten of these patients (8 men and 2 women; mean age 55 years) had imaging findings consistent with retroclival hematoma. CONCLUSIONS Retroclival hemorrhage was seen in the majority of cases of pituitary apoplexy (56%), suggesting that it is more common than previously thought.

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuya Kato ◽  
Yoshikazu Ogawa ◽  
Teiji Tominaga

Abstract Background Pregnancy is a known risk factor for pituitary apoplexy, which is life threatening for both mother and child. However, very few clinical interventions have been proposed for managing pituitary apoplexy in pregnancy. Case presentation We describe the management of three cases of pituitary apoplexy during pregnancy and review available literature. Presenting symptoms in our case series were headache and/or visual disturbances, and the etiology in all cases was hemorrhage. Conservative therapy was followed until 34 weeks of gestation, after which babies were delivered by cesarean section with prophylactic bolus hydrocortisone supplementation. Tumor removal was only electively performed after delivery using the transsphenoidal approach. All three patients and their babies had a good clinical course, and postoperative pathological evaluation revealed that all tumors were functional and that they secreted prolactin. Conclusions Although the mechanism of pituitary apoplexy occurrence remains unknown, the most important treatment strategy for pituitary apoplexy in pregnancy remains adequate hydrocortisone supplementation and frequent hormonal investigation. Radiological follow-up should be performed only if clinical symptoms deteriorate, and optimal timing for surgical resection should be discussed by a multidisciplinary team that includes obstetricians and neonatologists.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 470-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Schooner ◽  
Michelle A Wedemeyer ◽  
Phillip A Bonney ◽  
Michelle Lin ◽  
Kyle Hurth ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND Rathke cleft cysts (RCCs) are benign sellar and suprasellar lesions commonly presenting as asymptomatic incidental findings. Rarely, RCCs hemorrhage and mimic pituitary apoplexy on presentation. OBJECTIVE To review a series of hemorrhagic RCCs for physicians encountering this rare presentation. METHODS A database review of >1700 transsphenoidal pituitary operations was performed at the USC Pituitary Center to identify patients with pathologically confirmed RCCs presenting with acute symptoms and evidence of hemorrhage at the time of surgery. Surgical treatment involved transsphenoidal RCC fenestration and drainage. Clinical, endocrine, and imaging outcomes were reviewed. RESULTS A total of 119 RCCs were identified, and 6 (5.0%) presented with hemorrhage mimicking pituitary apoplexy. Presenting symptoms included acute onset headaches (5/6), vision loss (2/6), and oculomotor nerve palsy (n = 1). Endocrine disturbances at presentation included pre-existing amenorrhea in all female patients (3/3), hypothyroidism (n = 2), panhypopituitarism (n = 2), and one with profound hyponatremia (Na 116 meq/L). All patients underwent endonasal transsphenoidal fenestration and drainage with no major complications. Over mean follow-up of 38.4 mo, 2/2 patients with vision loss reported improvement, and 2/5 patients with headaches reported improvement. Although all women resumed menses, patients with preoperative hypopituitarism did not experience pituitary axis improvement. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging showed no instances of RCC recurrence with a mean imaging follow-up of 38.6 mo. CONCLUSION RCCs occasionally present with hemorrhage and clinical symptoms that may be confused with apoplexy. Outcomes following hemorrhagic RCC treatment are excellent when treated at tertiary pituitary centers. Although hyperprolactinemia often improves following surgery, other pituitary axis deficits typically do not.


BMC Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatme Seval Ismail ◽  
Johannes van de Nes ◽  
Ilka Kleffner

Abstract Background Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is clinical-neuroradiologically defined and potentially reversible, so there are limited data about histopathological findings. We aimed to describe the clinical and paraclinical features of patients with PRES with regard to its reversibility. Methods This retrospective case series encompasses 15 PRES cases out of 1300 evaluated patients from a single German center between January 1, 2010, and June 15, 2020. PRES was established according to the diagnostic criteria as proposed by the Berlin PRES Study 2012. One of the cases studied was subject to brain autopsy. Results From the 15 patients studied (median age 53 years, range 17–73; 11 female), 67 % presented with epileptic seizures, 40 % suffered from encephalopathy with reduced consciousness and 53 % developed delirium, while 47 % had headache and visual disturbances. Subcortical brain MRI abnormalities related to PRES were observed in all patients. One patient developed spinal ischemia and another Guillain-Barré syndrome in addition to PRES. Hypertensive blood pressure was the main underlying/trigger condition in all patients. Clinical symptoms and MRI changes were not reversible in 42 %, even progressive in 3 out of these 5 patients. Median time from symptom onset to diagnosis in these non-reversible cases was 7 days (range 0–13), while the median delay in diagnosis in the reversible group was 1 day (range 0–3). Cerebellar/brain stem involvement and status epilepticus were more frequently in patients with non-reversible disease course. Mortality due to PRES occurred in 13 % of these patients. Neuropathological examination of the brain of a 57-year-old female patient revealed major leukencephalopathic changes, fibrinoid necrosis of endothelial cells and fresh petechial hemorrhages in accordance with PRES. Conclusions Our case series demonstrates that PRES was not reversible in 42 % of the studied patients. Delay in diagnosis seems to contribute to limited reversibility and poor outcome.


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 598-601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Courts ◽  
Virginia Maskill ◽  
Andrew Gray ◽  
Paul Glue

Aims: Use of synthetic cannabinoids is associated with significant physical and psychological harms. This research quantified reported toxicities from published reports and assessed the influence of size of the reported study population on rates of symptom reporting. Methods: Systematic review of published case reports and case series of toxicity associated with use of synthetic cannabinoids. Results: Symptoms associated with synthetic cannabinoid toxicity were reported for 3695 individuals, predominantly young males. Symptoms included physiological (e.g. tachycardia, hypertension, nausea/vomiting), emotional (e.g. agitation, irritability, paranoia), behavioural (e.g. drowsiness, aggression) and perceptual (e.g. hallucinations) domains. Most common symptoms were tachycardia (30.2% of cases), agitation (13.5%), drowsiness (12.3%), nausea/vomiting (8.2%) and hallucinations (7.6%). Death or serious medical complications were uncommon (e.g. death 0.2%, stroke 0.1%, myocardial infarction 0.09%). Case reports/smaller case series ( n<10) reported statistically significantly higher rates for 29/34 symptoms than larger case series ( n≥10), which could represent selection bias. Conclusions: Symptoms of synthetic cannabinoid toxicity are variable and cover a number of physical and psychological domains. Symptom reporting varies by study population size. Due to the variable presenting symptoms of synthetic cannabinoid toxicity, clinicians in emergency services should consider synthetic cannabinoid toxicity when evaluating young adult male patients presenting with unexplained agitation or cardiovascular symptoms.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (05) ◽  
pp. 260-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muayad Alali ◽  
Jefree J. Schulte ◽  
Barbara A. Hendrickson

AbstractKikuchi–Fujimoto's disease (KFD), alternatively termed histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, was first described in 1972. KFD is rare in children, with most of the cases occurring between the ages of 20 and 30 years with a female-to-male ratio of 4:1. The etiology is unknown, although infectious and autoimmune mechanisms have been proposed. KFD manifests with a spectrum of nonspecific clinical symptoms and laboratory findings. KFD is without a definitive diagnostic test and is a diagnosis of exclusion, which must be differentiated from other disease processes with associated lymphadenopathy. Significant overlap in both clinical presentation and histological features with other diseases, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, systemic lupus erythematosus, and active tuberculosis (TB), presents challenges in diagnosis. A small number of case reports have been published describing the coexistence of KFD and active TB. Most reported cases occur in TB endemic areas. In the largest analysis of KFD, TB infection was concurrent in 2% of cases. Most of the cases occurred in adult patients. To our knowledge, there have been no pediatric cases of KFD with concurrent TB infection reported in the United States. This study describes a case of KFD with concurrent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in a young male from the United States.


Author(s):  
Sawai Singh Rathore ◽  
Gianpier Alonzo Rojas ◽  
Manush Sondhi ◽  
Suveenkrishna Pothuru ◽  
Reshma Pydi ◽  
...  

Background: Covid-19 is an extremely contagious illness caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) virus. Although this disease primarily involves pulmonary tissue, rapidly advancing research has established cardiac involvement in Covid-19 patients. Objective: This systematic review article aimed to compile and illustrate clinical characteristics, diagnostic findings, management, and outcomes manifesting in myocarditis linked with Covid-19. Methods: A literature search was accomplished for published eligible articles with MEDLINE/PubMed and Embase databases. All eligible case reports and case series were included from around the world without any language restrictions. For this review, inclusion criteria were laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection cases reporting a diagnosis of acute myocarditis. Results: Data from 41 studies describing myocarditis in 42 Covid-19 patients was obtained. The median age of these patients was 43.4 years, with 71.4% of them being male. Fever was the most prevalent presenting symptoms seen in 57% of patients. Hypertension was the most pervasive comorbidity accompanying these patients. Cardiac biomarkers troponin and Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were raised in almost 90% and 87% of patients, respectively. Electrocardiogram findings were Non-specific and included ST-segment and T-wave changes. The most prevalent histopathological feature appreciated was diffuse lymphocytic inflammatory infiltrates. Antivirals and corticosteroids were the most frequently used medications. About 38% of patients also needed vasopressor assistance. Out of 42 patients, 67% recovered, and eight died. Conclusion: Due to the risk of a sudden worsening of patients conditions and myocarditis association with considerable mortality and morbidity, a knowledge of this cardiac complication of Covid-19 disease is crucial for healthcare professionals.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Roslyakova ◽  
Dmitry Beltsevich ◽  
Michail Plotkin ◽  
Pavel Rumyantsev ◽  
Daria Ladygina

Abstract The prevalence of metastatic pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PPGL) is reported to be 3% to 36% of all the cases. The five-year overall survival rate of such patients ranges from 40 to 77%. The management of metastatic PPGL is challenging taking into account the fact that the optimal strategies for clinical care beyond surgical resection are not guided yet. Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) using somatostatin analogues is effective in other neuroendocrine tumours, can be indicated in patients with positive scans for the respective radiopharmaceuticals. We report preliminary data of the prospective study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy outcomes of 177Lu-DOTATATE for 6 patients with histologically confirmed PPGLs with metastatic progression after the complete PPGL surgery. The mean age of our cohort was 53 years (range 14–73); an equal number of male and female patients was included. Two of them had germline mutations in RET and SDHB genes, respectively. Radiological response utilized RECIST 1.1 criteria; toxicity was graded according to common terminology criteria for adverse events version 4. PPRT scheme varied between three and four cycles. Partial response (PR) was achieved in one and stable disease (SD) in four 4 patients. One patient had treatment refractory with disease progression and dramatic increase of chromogranin A concentration (+268%). Biochemical response (&gt;50% decrease) of chromogranin A was found in 1/6 patients and of catecholamines in 2/6 patients. No hematological or kidney toxicity grade 3–4 was registered. Median overall survival and median progression-free survival rate will be reported after the end of the study. To date, about 250 PPGL patients have been treated with PRRT. PRRT using 177Lu-DOTA-SSAs has shown promise for treatment of PPGLs with improvement of clinical symptoms and/or disease control in the setting of retrospective small case reports or case series. However, more well-designed prospective studies are required to confirm these findings.


2019 ◽  
pp. 57-59

One known medical complication in patients with cirrhosis of the liver is sudden onset gastrointestinal haemorrhage which is usually variceal in nature and can be life threatening [1]. On occasion spontaneous haemorrhage from varices in other locations may also occur [2]. In addition, episodes of either intraabdominal or intrapulmonary haemorrhage are also associated with poor clinical outcomes in cirrhotic patients [3,4]. In comparison relatively, few cases of spontaneous intramuscular haemorrhage in patients with cirrhosis have been reported up to now. This particular clinical entity has been predominantly the subject of sporadic case reports or case series. Apart from one small case series [5], the majority of the cases were summarised in a published review in 2015 [6]. Hence the most recent case report from Mongelli et al published recently in this journal [7], now becomes the 25th case. Keywords: Cirrhosis; Spontaneous; Haemorrhage; Intramuscular; Management; Surgery


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 244-249
Author(s):  
Norazlida Ibrahim ◽  
Raja Norliza Binti Raja Omar ◽  
Mae-Lynn Catherine Bastion

Pituitary apoplexy in pregnancy is a potentially fatal condition caused by acute ischaemic infarction or haemorrhage of pre-existing pituitary adenoma or within a physiologically enlarged pituitary gland. It has a wide spectrum of clinical presentations ranging from a mild headache to sudden collapsed. Here, we report a life-threatening case of pituitary apoplexy in a non-functioning pituitary macroadenoma occurring during pregnancy that presented with bilateral blurring of vision. Visual field showed bitemporal superior quadrantanopia. Urgent non-contrast brain MRI revealed an acute expansion of a hemorrhagic pituitary lesion complicated with local compression to the optic chiasm. The patient underwent an uneventful right supraorbital craniotomy and excision of the tumour under general anaesthesia with no foetal loss. The repeated visual field at 2 weeks after surgery showed recovering visual field defect. Hence, early neurosurgical intervention is advisable to prevent mortality and morbidity due to permanent visual field loss.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A628-A628
Author(s):  
Xiaoling Yu ◽  
Francisco J Guarda ◽  
Naila Shiraliyeva ◽  
Melanie S Haines ◽  
Philip J Saylor ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa), used in the treatment of prostate cancer (PC) and for reproductive purposes in women, have been implicated as the cause of pituitary apoplexy (PA), a potentially life-threatening condition. The pathophysiology of PA after GnRHa has not been completely elucidated. Proposed mechanisms include a stimulatory effect of GnRHa on pituitary adenoma cell metabolism, causing mismatched blood supply prompting hemorrhage or infarction. Prior documentation of PA associated with GnRHa has been scarce and limited to case reports. Methods: This is a detailed clinical case series of GnRH-induced PA from a single institution, obtained by a Research Patient Data Repository query. Clinical characteristics of the patients including demographics, detailed history, time interval between GnRHa and PA, physical exam, biochemical data, pituitary imaging and pathology were reviewed. Results: Seven cases were identified between 1990-2020; six men (aged 55 – 83 years) receiving treatment for PC and one woman (aged 22 years) receiving GnRHa for oocyte donation. All patients presented with headache; four within 48 hours of, one &gt;1 month after, and one 5 months after, receiving GnRHa. One patient had insufficient data on time between GnRHa and PA. Most patients (86%) presented with nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms included ophthalmoplegia (43%), visual field defects (17%), and altered consciousness (29%). All patients had sellar masses and/or evidence of hemorrhage on MRI. Five patients underwent pituitary surgery while the others were managed medically. Of those who underwent surgical resection, 80% had positive histopathological staining for gonadotropins. Five patients with reliable hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis testing had impairment of this axis after PA; 40% recovered adrenal function. Central hypothyroidism occurred in 60% of whom 66% recovered. Hyponatremia occurred in 43%. Conclusions: Patients with gonadotrope-secreting adenomas may develop PA in response to GnRHa, more frequently in elderly men who are receiving GnRHa treatment for PC. This may be due to older age and higher prevalence of GnRHa use in this group. However, as demonstrated here and in prior case reports, women are not exonerated from this complication. Headache and adrenal insufficiency are typically present. HPA axis recovers in a subset. While most patients present &lt;48 hours after GnRHa treatment, delayed presentations may occur. Therefore, a history of prior GnRHa exposure should be ascertained in patients presenting with PA. While the incidence of PA after GnRHa is low, this case series and prior case reports suggest that this serious potential complication should be recognized prior to treatment, especially in patients with known pituitary macroadenomas.


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