Pituitary abscess in a pregnant woman.

Pituitary abscess is a rare and potentially lethal condition. Pituitary abscess in a pregnant woman has not been previously described. A 38-year-old pregnant woman (34 weeks gestation) with a pituitary mass complained of a progressive headache and sudden visual impairment. She was afebrile and had no inflammatory symptoms on admission. On MRI, the preoperative diagnosis was pituitary adenoma with sphenoid sinusitis. She underwent an uncomplicated transsphenoidal procedure for removal of the pituitary mass. The next day, labor commenced and a healthy preterm baby was delivered. Pathologic examination of the intrasellar mass showed polymorphonuclear cells, debris and no tumor cells. The sellar contents were cultured and Streptococcus viridans was grown. To our knowledge this is the first case of pituitary abscess reported during pregnancy. Although the patient was pregnant, the transsphenoidal approach was safe for the mother and the fetus. Surgical drainage and antibiotic therapy are required for the definitive treatment of this condition.     

A case of primary abscess of the pituitary gland]

This report details the management of a patient with a primary pituitary abscess with secondary amenorrhea, mimicking pituitary adenoma. The preoperative diagnosis of intra- and suprasellar pituitary abscess was established by X-ray examination of the skull, CT-scans and anamnesis. After transsphenoidal removal of the abscess with accompanying antibiotic therapy the patient had a progressive and nearly complete recovery with normalization of menstruation.     

Widespread brainstem abscess resolved with medical therapy

The brainstem is an uncommon site of a brain abscess. Such lesions, which were invariably fatal, changed with the arrival of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These not only helped in the diagnosis but also in treatment management. A 51-year old patient was diagnosed of widespread pontomesencephalic abscess. He was admitted with a clinical picture of dizziness, headache and involvement of multiple cranial nerves with near complete ophthalmoplegia and cerebellar syndrome in the side of the lesion and contralateral hemiplegia. Microbiologic investigations were negative and the medical management decided was broad spectrum antibiotic and periodic MRI controls. The length of the lesion decreased (from 4 cm in diameter to 0.5 cm) with progressive improvement of the neurological deficits. Treatment of large brainstem abscesses includes primary antibiotic therapy combined with stereotaxic drainage, but in individual cases empirical medical therapy can be effective. Sequential MRI examinations are very important for monitoring treatment efficacy.     

Bilateral psoas abscesses caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) after posterolateral fusion of the lumbar spine

Psoas abscess following spine surgery is a rare condition that can be overlooked or delayed as a result of its vague clinical manifestations. Gone unchecked, it can lead to severe morbidity and even death. We present a 71-year-old female patient who developed bilateral psoas abscess immediately following L2 through S1 posterior instrumented fusion. The patient underwent CT-guided percutaneous drainage of the bilateral psoas abscess and blood cultures revealed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) sensitive to vancomycin. Following surgical re-exploration, debridement and removal of part of the instrumentation, the patient received antibiotic treatment for 12 weeks and at 1-year follow-up the patient continues asymptomatic.     

垂体脓肿的诊断、治疗和长期随访

目的垂体脓肿是一种少见的鞍区感染性疾病,其临床表现没有特异性,术前诊断比较困难。为了更好地发现其临床特点以助于临床诊断,为了评估垂体脓肿手术治疗的疗效及其长期转归,我们分析总结了我院手术治疗的垂体脓肿病例资料。方法回顾性分析总结北京协和医院1991年～2007年17年间手术证实和治疗的30例垂体脓肿病例,对所有病例的详细病史资料、术前术后的影像学资料和内分泌检查结果及长期随访资料均进行了仔细分析和总结。结果垂体脓肿患者往往因为垂体占位性病变的相关症状而就诊,很少表现为感染相关的症状。中枢性尿崩、垂体功能低下、头痛是最常见的临床症状;MRI表现多样,但多数具有脓肿的典型表现即鞍区囊性占位,静脉注射对比剂后可见病灶边缘环形强化;尽管术后复发并不少见,大多数垂体脓肿通过手术引流可以治愈,但垂体功能低下往往很难恢复,需要长期激素替代治疗。结论临床上表现为尿崩、垂体功能低下伴有环形强化的鞍区占位往往提示垂体脓肿的诊断;治疗上首选经蝶脓肿引流手术,尽管伴有一定的复发率,手术往往可以治愈脓肿,但垂体功能低下往往不能恢复,需要重视长期替代治疗。     

Dermoid cyst with dermal sinus tract complicated with spinal subdural abscess

Spinal subdural abscess caused by spread of infection with the dermal sinus tract is rare in children. This article reports on a 1-year-old male with prolonged fever, progressive paraplegia, and bowel and bladder dysfunction resulting from a spinal subdural abscess secondary to an infected spinal dermoid cyst with a dermal sinus tract. This is the youngest patient to be reported having this condition. Surgical intervention was performed to find a tumor that had capsule and keratinlike contents. Culture of the abscess was positive for Escherichia coli and Bacteroides vulgatus. He received 6 weeks of parenteral antibiotic treatment. This patient illustrates the importance of urgent radiologic examination, immediate surgical resection, and appropriate antibiotic therapy for spinal subdural abscess.     

垂体脓肿的诊断与治疗（附9例临床分析）

目的探讨垂体脓肿的临床特点和治疗方法。方法回顾性分析9例垂体脓肿患者的临床表现、影像学特征、诊断和治疗,并结合文献进行分析。结果9例患者中有8例经鼻蝶入路手术,1例行大脑开颅手术。视功能改善77.8%（7/9）,头痛缓解83.3%（5/6）,垂体功能低下改善25%（1/4）,尿崩症缓解33.3%（1/3）。结论垂体脓肿的发生有增多趋势;当患者头痛、视力视野障碍、垂体功能低下,尤其有尿崩的出现,结合影像学检查,鞍区磁共振及增强示类圆形囊状占位性病变,等或长T1,长T2,囊壁呈环形强化（＂鸭梨＂征）等,应考虑垂体脓肿的诊断。诊断一旦确定,应尽早行手术治疗,入路以经蝶为首选;术后予抗感染、补充激素及对症等治疗。     

Complete ophthalmoplegia: an unusual sign of bilateral paramedian midbrain-thalamic infarction

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Complete ophthalmoplegia, the combination of bilateral ptosis with loss of all extraocular movements, is rarely a consequence of ischemic stroke. We describe 3 patients who had complete ophthalmoplegia as a manifestation of bilateral paramedian midbrain-thalamic infarction, and we discuss possible pathophysiologic mechanisms. Summary of Cases- Three patients presented with coma. All had complete ophthalmoplegia that initially persisted despite improvement or fluctuation in their other deficits. MRI revealed bilateral paramedian midbrain-thalamic infarction. Two patients died, with the ophthalmoplegia remaining unchanged before death. The surviving patient had a progressive improvement in ocular abduction but persisting third nerve and vertical gaze palsies. CONCLUSIONS: Complete ophthalmoplegia is an unusual sign of bilateral paramedian midbrain-thalamic infarction. The ophthalmoplegia could result from combined third nerve, pseudoabducens, and vertical gaze palsies.     

Cushing’s disease presenting with pituitary apoplexy

Pituitary tumour apoplexy is a rare but life threatening condition. Cushing’s disease usually presents with clinical features of Cushing’s syndrome. We report a 30-year-old male patient with Cushing’s disease who presented with severe headache and right third nerve palsy. MRI of the pituitary gland revealed a pituitary adenoma with infarction suggestive of apoplexy. After a transsphenoidal surgery he developed pan-hypopituitarism with diabetes insipidus. We also review the relevant literature.     

Pituitary Apoplexy in the Setting of Coronary Angiography

Pituitary apoplexy (PA) is a rare but potentially life-threatening event. Typically, it results from hemorrhage into a pituitary adenoma, although cases affecting the intact gland have been reported. PA may occur spontaneously or in a setting of certain diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The association of PA and contrast administration in the setting of neuroimaging have been postulated. The authors report a case of PA following coronary angiography. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this scenario has not been previously reported. A 66-year-old woman with a congenital septal defect underwent coronary angiography that was technically uncomplicated. After the procedure, the patient experienced retro-orbital pain and developed ophthalmoplegia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a hemorrhagic sellar mass extending into the cavernous sinus. A 3-month follow-up MRI revealed cystic changes. The patient expired 4 months later because of cardiorespiratory failure. PA in the absence of adenoma was confirmed on autopsy. The authors hypothesize that apoplexy here was related to the administration of Omnipaque in combination with the anticoagulation effect of heparin.     

MRI and CT in a case of pituitary abscess.

We report the case of a woman admitted for hypopituitarism of sudden onset, in whom conventional radiography, CT and MRT suggested a pituitary tumour with supra- and intrasellar extensions. The surgical findings and the clinical course under antibiotic therapy transformed this diagnosis into one of pituitary abscess by a pyogenic micro-organism. Pituitary abscess is an exceptional lesion. Despite the advent of CT and MRI, its preoperative diagnosis remains difficult. However, the presence of an intrasellar expansive process with liquid centre and contrast-enhanced outline should suggest the possibility of an abscess, particularly when the pituitary lesion is associated with a sphenoidal sinus effusion.     

垂体脓肿的诊断和经蝶窦显微手术治疗

目的：探讨垂体脓肿的诊断和经蝶窦显微手术治疗。方法：经蝶窦显微手术证实为垂体脓肿７例，３例术前诊断为垂体脓肿，４例诊断为其它鞍区病变。男性５例，女性２例，平均年龄３８．８岁，平均病程２．３年。临床症状尿崩症５例，垂体功能低下４例，头痛３例，视力视野障碍２例，动眼神经麻痹１例。手术中彻底清除脓肿，放置碘仿纱条引流。结果：随诊３个月～６年，影像学检查脓肿征象均消失。３例头痛、２例视神经功能障碍术后缓解；３例尿崩症、２例垂体功能低下改善，１例术后２年复发。结论：若鞍区病变不大，但引起较严重的蝶鞍骨质破坏，表现为尿崩症和垂体功能低下时，应首先考虑垂体脓肿。及时手术探查，彻底清除脓肿和术后使用抗生素是治疗垂体脓肿的关键     

Blindness following pituitary apoplexy: Timing of surgery and neuro-ophthalmic outcome

The aim of this study is to report the neuro-ophthalmic outcome in patients who underwent transsphenoidal decompression for unilateral or bilateral blindness that was due to pituitary apoplexy. Four patients who were rendered blind (with an absence of light perception) unilaterally or bilaterally as a result of pituitary apoplexy were studied. Neuro-ophthalmic evaluation was performed pre- and post-operatively. Patients underwent CT and MRI pre-operatively and CT post-operatively. All four patients underwent transethmoidal decompression of the pituitary adenoma. One patient underwent a second transcranial procedure to remove the remaining suprasellar component of the tumor. Visual acuity, visual fields and extra-ocular movements were documented during the follow-up period. There were three males and one female. Ages ranged from 40 to 68 years. Three patients had unilateral blindness and one was blind in both eyes. Two of the four patients had associated ophthalmoplegia. All the four patients presented within one week of ictus. One patient underwent surgery within the first week, two patients underwent surgery two and three weeks after ictus and the other patient underwent surgery two months after ictus. The patient who was operated on within the first week recovered from bilateral blindness to a visual acuity of 6/9 and 6/12 with superior quadrantic field defects. The two patients who were operated on two and three weeks after ictus improved to 6/60 in the affected eyes and the patient who was operated on after two months improved to 1/60 in the affected eye. Both the patients with ophthalmoplegia improved completely even though the surgery was delayed by two months for one patient. Although blindness following pituitary apoplexy is rare, visual acuity improves in most patients following transsphenoidal surgery. Early surgery within the first week after ictus leads to excellent visual outcome when compared with surgery that is performed at a later stage. In contrast to visual outcome, ophthalmoplegia improves even if surgical decompression is delayed.     

Treatment of Rathke’s cleft cysts: Experience at a single centre

Rathke’s cleft cysts are rare benign lesions requiring surgical treatment when they become symptomatic. Transsphenoidal surgery is the recommended therapy due to its efficacy and safety. However, whether the optimal surgical strategy is simple drainage and biopsy or cyst wall resection remains controversial. We report a single center’s experience of a series of 14 Rathke’s cleft cysts treated with transsphenoidal resection of the cyst wall. Postoperatively, there was no cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea. The complications included permanent diabetes insipidus, hypocortisolism (including a patient with a coexisting adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting adenoma), sinusitis and a case of meningitis and intrasellar abscess, one year post-surgery. Visual impairment and headache resolved in all cases. Pituitary dysfunction was restored only in patients with hyperprolactinemia and Cushing’s disease. During the follow-up period (median 29 months) there was no recurrence requiring re-operation. According to our experience, the aggressive approach is associated with good surgical results and with low complication and recurrence rates.     

Ruptured long intramedullary spinal cord abscess successfully treated with antibiotic treatment

Intramedullary spinal cord abscess (ISCA) is an extremely rare infection of the central nervous system. We report a 17-year old man with ISCA that suggested rupture confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The patient presented with meningeal signs, severe paraplegia, sensory impairment with a sensory level, and urinary retention. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) study showed pleocytosis with polymorphonuclear cells and a decreased glucose level suggesting bacterial meningitis. Computed tomography showed maxillary sinusitis and a lower respiratory tract infection. Spinal MRI showed an ISCA from Th5 to Th12. Part of the abscess seemed to have ruptured into the medullary cavity. Streptococcus intermedius was cultured from CSF, sputum, and the maxillary sinus abscess. It appeared that Streptococcus intermedius transferred from the respiratory tract to the spinal cord hematogenously, formed the ISCA, and the ISCA ruptured. The patient was treated with ampicillin, vancomycin, and meropenem. After 56 days of treatment, he could walk with a walker. In the present case, the MRI findings were helpful for early diagnosis and follow-up of the pathogenic condition. Although the present case suggested rupture of ISCA, he recovered with antibiotic therapy alone. This suggested earlier diagnosis with MRI and aggressive antibiotic therapy appear to be critical factors that determine the prognosis of patients with ISCA.     

Late recurrent bleeding after surgical treatment for pituitary apoplexy.

Pituitary apoplexy is an uncommon syndrome characterised by sudden onset of headache, meningeal signs, visual disturbances, ophthalmoplegia and confusion. Documented recurrent apoplexy or treated apoplexy is even rarer with only few reports in the literature. Between 1994 and 2001, 18 patients were treated for pituitary apoplexy at Bayindir Medical Centre through transsphenoidal route. In all, topical bromocriptine was applied after tumour resection as described by Ozgen. We hereby present the cases of two patients with recurrent apoplexy 3 and 7 years after the initial surgical treatment for pituitary adenoma with apoplexy. The patients were treated non-surgically with success. Additional treatment in the form of radiosurgery was found necessary for the first patient. Surgical excision of the pituitary tumours with apoplexy reduces the risk of recurrent bleedings but eradication is not a rule. These patients need to be followed closely in the postoperative period for possible recurrence of bleeding.     

A case of multiple cranial neuropathy with positive antinuclear antibody responded to steroid]

A 56-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of bilateral ptosis, total ophthalmoplegia, bilateral facial palsy and left hypoglossal nerve palsy. Antinuclear antibody (ANA) showed high titer of 1280 but other data were normal. With oral prednisolone therapy (40 mg/day), the symptoms improved gradually but ANA titer did not show any significant change. We thought multiple cranial neuropathy of the patient was due to autoimmune disease such as collagen disease or cranial nerve type of Guillain-Barré syndrome from her symptoms and positive ANA. In contrast to other reported cases of multiple cranial neuropathy with positive ANA, in our patient ANA titer was high, only motor cranial nerves were impaired, and total ophthalmoplegia was found. Steroid therapy was useful in accordance with other reports. Although our patient has no symptoms related to collagen diseases, a long follow-up of this patient is considered to be necessary.     

Citrobacter diversus and neonatal brain abscess

A 23-day-old infant presented with apnea and was found to have Citrobacter diversus meningitis and brain abscess. The organism persisted in brain abscess fluid for over 4 weeks despite adequate antibiotic therapy. Cranial computed tomography demonstrated persistent radiolucencies in both frontal lobes, and midline shift, long after completion of antibiotic therapy. Effective therapy of C. diversus meningitis and brain abscess may require use of an antibiotic active within phagocytes, and judicious surgical drainage. A high prevalence of brain abscess mandates cranial computed tomography for any infant with C. diversus meningitis.     

Malignant prolactinoma: a rare case report

Pituitary carcinomas are rare adenohypophyseal tumors with cerebrospinal or extracranial metastasis. None of the histologic findings distinguish pituitary adenoma from carcinoma. We describe clinico-pathological and immunohistological features of malignant prolactinoma. The patient initially presented with a prolactin-secreting pituitary adenoma. The tumor showed aggressive clinical course presenting with repeated recurrences and eventually metastasized to multiple bones. MIB-1 and p53 labeling indices were also compared in primary adenoma, recurrent invasive adenoma and metastatic tumor.     

Pituitary Apoplexy Following Mitral Valvuloplasty

Pituitary apoplexy is a rare but potentially life-threatening clinical syndrome caused by the sudden enlargement of a pituitary adenoma secondary to hemorrhage or infarction. Pituitary apoplexy after cardiac surgery is a very rare perioperative complication. Factors associated with open heart surgery that may lead to pituitary apoplexy include hemodynamic instability during cardiopulmonary bypass and systemic heparinization. We report a case of pituitary apoplexy after mitral valvuloplasty with cardiopulmonary bypass. After early pituitary tumor resection and hormonal replacement therapy, the patient made a full recovery.