Incidence of intracranial aneurysm associated with pituitary adenoma

Prevalence of cerebral aneurysm in patients with acromegaly

The prevalence of cerebral aneurysm was retrospectively investigated in 208 patients with acromegaly relative to the rate of cerebral aneurysm in a group of control subjects. Neuroradiological examinations of the cerebral vascular system were conducted in 208 acromegaly patients (101 men; mean age, 48.8 years). The prevalence of cerebral aneurysm in the acromegaly patients was compared to that in a control group consisting of 7,390 subjects who underwent "brain checkup" between 2006 and 2008 (mean age, 51.6 years). In the acromegaly group, cerebral aneurysm was detected in 4.3 % of patients. By sex, the prevalence was 6.9 % in males, a significantly proportion than that in the control group with an odds ratio of 4.40. The prevalence in females did not differ between the two groups. In the acromegaly group, the rate of hypertension was significantly higher in the patients with aneurysm compared to those without aneurysm. Multiple logistic regression identified acromegaly as a significant factor related to the prevalence of cerebral aneurysm in all male subjects; other factors, such as age, hypertension and smoking, were not found to be significant. A significantly higher prevalence of cerebral aneurysm was detected in male patients with acromegaly. This finding indicates that excess growth hormone or insulin-like growth factor 1 affects the cerebral vascular wall, resulting in aneurysm formation. In addition to known systematic complications in the cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, and other systems, the risk of cerebral aneurysm should be considered in the management of acromegaly.

Endoscopic extracapsular removal of pituitary adenoma: the importance of pretreatment of an adjacent unruptured internal carotid artery aneurysm

The presence of an intracranial aneurysm together with a pituitary adenoma presents tremendous risk of subarachnoid hemorrhage, during transsphenoidal surgery, particularly when the aneurysm lies near the operative field. A left supraclinoid internal carotid artery aneurysm and a clinically nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma coexisted in a 57-year-old woman. Initially, the aneurysm was treated by endovascular coil placement, and then the patient underwent pseudocapsule-based extracapsular resection of the pituitary tumor via a transnasal transsphenoidal endoscopic approach. Pseudocapsule-based extracapsular total resection was safely performed, because of the extirpated risk of rupture of the coil-treated aneurysm. Recently, transsphenoidal pseudocapsule-based extracapsular resection approach for pituitary adenomas provides a more effective and safe alternative compared to the traditional intracapsular one because of its higher tumor removal and remission rates and lower recurrence rate. Compared with conventional subcapsular removal, pseudocapsule-based extracapsular resection has more risks of aneurysmal rupture that is located adjacent to pituitary adenoma. Thus, in a patient having a cerebral aneurysm with the proximity to the operative field, the cerebral aneurysm should be first treated with endovascular coil placement or direct surgical procedure; subsequently, pseudocapsule-based extracapsular resection of the pituitary tumor via a transnasal transsphenoidal endoscopic approach should be performed.

Expanded endonasal endoscopic approach for resection of a growth hormone-secreting pituitary macroadenoma coexistent with a cavernous carotid artery aneurysm

The co-existence of pituitary adenomas (PA) and carotid artery aneurysms has been described and may be particularly frequent in acromegaly. The co-occurrence of an intracranial aneurysm in the setting of a PA presents significant risk to the patient, particularly when the aneurysm is within or near the operative field. We describe a 48-year-old, right-handed female patient with a large skull base lesion who had a left cavernous carotid artery aneurysm detected on her preoperative imaging studies. This patient was managed using a staged approach. She first underwent endovascular stent-assisted coiling of the aneurysm followed, six months later, by resection of the tumor via an expanded endonasal endoscopic approach. Histopathological analysis revealed a pituitary macroadenoma with neuronal metaplasia. Angiographic embolization followed by an expanded endonasal endoscopic approach is a safe and effective treatment for such lesions. Vascular imaging studies and a low index for suspicion are required for preoperative identification of such complex situations.

Coexistence of intracranial aneurysm in 800 patients with surgically confirmed pituitary adenoma

OBJECT

The purpose of this study was to assess factors associated with intracranial aneurysm (IA) in patients with pituitary adenoma (PA). In addition, these patients were compared with a control group from the general patient population in terms of the age-matched prevalence rate and the pattern of distribution of IA.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively reviewed 800 patients who received transsphenoidal surgery for PA and 3850 control patients from the general patient population who were evaluated for routine health care at the authors' institution between 2004 and 2010. All patients underwent MR imaging and MR angiography. Hormone assessment and pathological examination performed using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were completed for patients with PA.

RESULTS

Coexistence of IA in patients with PA was detected in 18 patients (2.3%). Multivariate analysis showed that age (p = 0.04) and cavernous sinus invasion (p < 0.001) were correlated with the increased incidence of IA, but hormone type, IHC staining, and sex were not associated. An age-matched comparison of the prevalence of IA showed an increased prevalence in patients with PA compared with the controls (p = 0.014), and when categorized according to age by decade, the 6th decade was significantly different (p = 0.039). However, the intracranial distribution pattern of IA did not demonstrate a significant difference.

CONCLUSIONS

Older age and the existence of a cavernous sinus invasion were correlated with increased incidence of IA in patients with PA. An age-matched comparison showed an increased incidence of IA in patients with PA than in the controls.

Cerebral aneurysms with intrasellar extension: a systematic review of clinical, anatomical, and treatment characteristics

Object

Intrasellar aneurysms are rare lesions that often mimic pituitary tumors, potentially resulting in catastrophic outcomes if they are not appropriately recognized. The authors aimed to characterize the clinical and anatomical details of this poorly defined entity in the modern era of neuroimaging and open/endovascular neurosurgery.

Methods

A PubMed literature review was conducted to identify all studies reporting noniatrogenic aneurysms with intrasellar extension, as confirmed by CT or MR imaging and angiography. Clinical, anatomical, and treatment characteristics were analyzed.

Results

Thirty-one studies reporting 40 cases of intrasellar aneurysms were identified. Six patients (15%) presented with aneurysmal rupture. Patients with unruptured aneurysms presented with the following signs and symptoms: headache (61%), visual field cuts/decreased visual acuity (61%), endocrinopathy (57%), symptomatic hyponatremia (21%), and cranial nerve paresis (other than optic nerve) (18%). The most common endocrine abnormalities were hyperprolactinemia and hypogonadism. Eight aneurysms (20%) were diagnosed in conjunction with a pituitary adenoma. Aneurysms could be categorized into 2 primary anatomical groups as follows: 1) cavernous/clinoid segment internal carotid artery (ICA) (infradiaphragmatic) aneurysms with medial extension into the sella; and 2) suprasellar (supradiaphragmatic) aneurysms originating from the ophthalmic segment of the ICA or from the anterior communicating artery, with inferomedial extension into the sella. The mean diameters of infradiaphragmatic and supradiaphragmatic aneurysms were 14.5 and 21.8 mm, respectively. Infradiaphragmatic aneurysms were much more likely to present with endocrinopathy, whereas supradiaphragmatic ones presented more commonly with visual disturbances. Aneurysms with infradiaphragmatic growth were generally treated using either endovascular techniques or surgical trapping and bypass, while supradiaphragmatic aneurysms were more often treated by surgical clipping.

Conclusions

Aneurysms with intrasellar extension typically present due to mass effect on surrounding structures, and they can be classified as infradiaphragmatic cavernous or clinoid segment ICA aneurysms, or supradiaphragmatic ophthalmic ICA or anterior communicating artery aneurysms. Varying approaches exist for treating these complex aneurysms, and intervention strategies depend substantially on the anatomical subtype.

De novo aneurysm after treatment of glioblastoma

A rare case of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage from newly developed cerebral aneurysm in glioblastoma patient is presented. A 57-year-old man was presented with headache and memory impairment. On the magnetic resonance image and the magnetic resonance angiography, a large enhancing mass was found at right frontal subcortex and intracranial aneurysm was not found. The mass was removed subtotally and revealed as glioblastoma. He took concurrent PCV chemotherapy and radiation therapy, but the mass recurred one month later after radiotherapy. He was then treated with temozolomide for 7 cycles. Three months after the completion of temozolomide therapy, he suffered from a subarachnoid hemorrhage due to a rupture of a small de novo aneurysm at distal anterior cerebral artery. He underwent an aneurysm clipping and discharged without neurologic complication.

Pituitary adenoma and incidental superior hypophyseal aneurysm

In patients with pituitary adenomas, intra-cranial aneurysms can be an incidental finding, and are usually located outside the pituitary region. The authors describe the multi-modal management of a rare case of an aneurysm of the supraclinoid carotid that encroached into a pituitary macroadenoma.

Overview of vascular complications of pituitary surgery with special emphasis on unexpected abnormality

Arterial bleeding during transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenoma is known complication. This usually happens due to rupture of intracavernous carotid or delayed hemorrhage due to the carotico-cavernous fistula and/or pseudoaneurysm. There is also evidence that cavernous carotid aneurysms may occur with pituitary tumors, yet largest series failed to demonstrate any link between aneurysm formation and pituitary tumors. Usually such an aneurysm rupture results in formation of carotico-cavernous fistula. However, pituitary apoplexy and even epistaxis have been reported. In this paper we present a patient with recurrent pituitary adenoma and cavernous carotid artery aneurysm, which caused significant hemorrhage during the surgery. Although retrospective analysis of MRI disclosed that the patient had the aneurysm before the first surgery, it remained silent until the second operation. Therefore neurosurgeons should be very susceptive to any signal changes on preoperative MR images, especially in recurrent cases, where normal anatomical relations are disturbed by fibrotic tissue. Also, we reviewed the vascular complication of pituitary surgery based on the literature.

Pituitary macroadenoma co-existent with supraclinoid internal carotid artery cerebral aneurysm: a case report and review of the literature

With improved angiographic techniques and magnetic resonance angiography available today, an increasing number of incidental aneurysms are being detected. Occurrence of an intracranial aneurysm together with a pituitary adenoma presents tremendous risk to the patient, particularly when the aneurysm lies near the operative field.

A 61-year-old woman presented with a progressive visual field defect. Neurological examination revealed bi-temporal haemianopia. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging and angiography revealed a pituitary macroadenoma co-existent with a cerebral aneurysm near the sellar region. The patient underwent an endovascular procedure for aneurysm embolisation and then underwent surgery for removal of the pituitary adenoma via a trans-sphenoidal approach.

We report our experience and emphasize the need for critical evaluation of neuroradiological examinations for precise diagnosis for avoiding a possible life-threatening situation.

MRI finding of simultaneous coexistence of growth hormone-secreting pituitary adenoma with intracranial meningioma and carotid artery aneurysms: report of a case

Coexistence of pituitary adenoma, intracranial meningioma and cerebral aneurysm has never been described. We report on a patient with GH-secreting pituitary macroadenoma associated with a right frontal meningioma and with two intracavernous asymptomatic aneurisms. A 61-year-old woman was referred to our Endocrine Unit 13 years after a right frontal craniotomy for a pituitary tumour. Endocrine investigation showed high levels of IGF-1 (560 ng/ml) and increased basal serum GH (56 ng/ml) levels, not suppressed after OGTT. MRI showed persistence of a homogeneously enhancing intra- and suprasellar lesion, compressing the visual pathways, with bilateral intracavernous invasion and simultaneous coexistence of a right intracavernous internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysm in direct contact with the pituitary tumour. Somatostatin analog treatment normalized GH and IGF-1 levels. Eight months later, the patient underwent a balloon ICA occlusion with disappearance of the right ICA aneurysm. One year later, a new MRI confirmed the presence of the pituitary mass showing also a right intracranial frontal meningioma and a new ICA aneurysm on the left side. Previous studies have suggested that prolonged GH hypersecretion could play a role in the genesis of intracranial aneurysms, inducing atherosclerotic and/or degenerative modification of the arterial walls. Other aetiological factors include a mechanical effect due to a direct contact between adenoma and aneurysm. Coexistence of pituitary adenoma and intracranial meningioma is a rare event, but also for this association it has been suggested that GH or other growth factors could play a role in appearance or in growth of meningioma. In our case, meningioma appeared and grew, despite the effective treatment of acromegaly.

Pituitary apoplexy associated with anterior communicating artery aneurysm and aberrant blood supply

Pituitary apoplexy is an uncommon condition typically caused by acute, hemorrhagic expansion of the pituitary gland in patients with an adenoma that undergoes infarction. Although various risk factors have been described, the vascular events leading to apoplexy are not well understood. Disruption of microvascular blood flow is a well-known cause of morbidity from hemorrhage of an intracranial aneurysm, but pituitary apoplexy is rarely associated with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. We report here a 46-year-old woman with pituitary apoplexy who developed subarachnoid hemorrhage from rupture of an anterior communicating artery aneurysm. Intraoperatively, she was found to have an unusual, large recurrent artery originating at the junction of the aneurysm and the A2 segment of the anterior cerebral artery that traveled to the suprasellar cistern and along the pituitary stalk. This recurrent hypophyseal artery established a direct vascular relationship between an intracerebral aneurysm and the pituitary gland.

Hypothalamic hamartoma associated with anterior paraclinoid aneurysm of the internal carotid artery

A 15-year-old boy presented with a history of medically refractory gelastic seizures and cognitive impairments. Neuroimaging demonstrated a sessile type hypothalamic hamartoma, which was treated by gamma knife surgery. However, the gelastic seizures only partially decreased and the frequency of seizures remained unchanged. One year later, angiography before surgery detected anterior paraclinoid aneurysm of the left internal carotid artery. Blood pressure and endocrinological examinations showed no abnormality. Direct surgery was performed to treat the aneurysm and hamartoma. No sclerotic changes were noted in the arterial wall. The aneurysm was treated with clipping, and the hamartoma was partially removed. Postoperative course was uneventful and the gelastic seizures disappeared. No evidence for a causal relationship between the hamartoma and aneurysm was found.

Cavernous aneurysm and pituitary adenoma: management of dual intrasellar lesions

A 53-year-old female with a functioning pituitary adenoma was found to also have an unruptured asymptomatic aneurysm in the cavernous sinus portion of the internal carotid artery on MRI. The adenoma had a suprasellar extension with optic chiasm compression and extended into the right cavernous sinus. An aneurysm-like flow-void adjacent to the left internal carotid artery in the sella and embedded in the adenoma was also found. The aneurysm was confirmed by conventional angiography. We used a right fronto-pterional approach to clip the aneurysm and to remove the pituitary tumor in a one-stage procedure. The outcome was good on long-term follow-up. It is important to thoroughly evaluate the anatomic relations around the sella turcica prior to procedures with limited exposure, including transsphenoidal surgery, to avoid unrecognized complications and morbidity.

Intrasellar aneurysm and a growth hormone—secreting pituitary macroadenoma

✓ An aneurysm completely included within a pituitary adenoma that lies inside the sella turcica is rare and challenging from both a diagnostic and treatment viewpoint. A 39-year-old woman presented with symptoms and signs of acromegaly. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a pituitary macroadenoma, which was associated with an intrasellar aneurysm. Digital subtraction angiography confirmed the presence of the cavernous carotid artery aneurysm. Complete endovascular obliteration of the aneurysm was achieved using Guglielmi Detachable Coils and the patency of the internal carotid artery was maintained. The pituitary adenoma was resected subtotally via a transsphenoidal microsurgical approach 8 months later. Preoperative detection of a coexisting intrasellar aneurysm in a patient with a pituitary adenoma is mandatory to avoid life-threatening hemorrhagic complications. Endovascular coil placement is an effective treatment option when performed before the transsphenoidal removal of the adenoma.

Coexistence of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage and pituitary apoplexy: Case report and review of the literature

A case of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage with associated haemorrhagic infarction of a growth hormone secreting pituitary macroadenoma is presented. The subarachnoid haemorrhage was not identifiable on CT, but was apparent on MRI. Angiography revealed a 7mm right posterior communicating aneurysm, a 3mm left A1 segment anterior cerebral aneurysm, and vasospasm. Surgery was performed through a right pterional/subfrontal approach, clipping both aneurysms and debulking the tumour. The left A1 aneurysm was the site of subarachnoid haemorrhage. There was evidence of haemorrhagic infarction of the pituitary tumour. Although rupture of an aneurysm into a pituitary tumour has been previously reported, this is the first case reported of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage with coexisting pituitary apoplexy where the aneurysm had not bled directly into the pituitary tumour. The literature regarding the association between pituitary tumours and aneurysm is reviewed.

Pituitary apoplexy caused by ruptured internal carotid artery aneurysm

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

We report the first case of pituitary apoplexy caused by the rupture of an intracavernous carotid artery aneurysm embedded in a pituitary adenoma.

CASE DESCRIPTION

A 46-year-old man presented with clinical and CT findings typical of pituitary apoplexy. MRI showed an unusual flow-void protrusion into the intratumoral hematoma, which, however, was not diagnosed as a ruptured aneurysm until severe intraoperative bleeding occurred. Angiography after surgery revealed an intracavernous carotid artery aneurysm.

CONCLUSIONS

The possible association of adenoma and aneurysmal rupture should be kept in mind when assessing any case of pituitary apoplexy.

Differential diagnosis of sellar masses

The differential diagnosis of nonpituitary sellar masses is broad; differentiating among potential etiologies may not always be straightforward because many of these lesions, tumorous and nontumorous, may mimic the clinical, endocrinologic, and radiologic presentations of pituitary adenomas. This article provides an overview of the clinical and radiographic characteristics of both pituitary tumors and the nonpituitary lesions found in the sellar/parasellar region and discusses, in detail, the specific nonpituitary origins of the sellar masses.