Amelioration of acromegaly after pituitary infarction due to gastrointestinal hemorrhage from gastric ulcer

Spontaneous Remission of Acromegaly After Pituitary Apoplexy in a Middle-Aged Male

Background: Pituitary apoplexy results from hemorrhage, infarction, or hemorrhagic infarction within a pituitary tumor. Subclinical or clinical apoplexy is not uncommon in acromegaly, owing to the large size of the tumor at initial detection. Growth hormone excess in acromegaly often persists following surgery. However, in rare instances, pituitary apoplexy may present a spontaneous cure to growth hormone excess.

Case Report: A 40-year-old male presented with holocranial headache for the past 16 years that had worsened in severity during the prior year. Two months before presentation, he experienced a severe headache that he described as the worst headache of his life. The patient had prominent acromegaloid features that he ignored, as they seemed to cause no harm. The patient had no signs of clinically active disease. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a pituitary macroadenoma with evidence of hemorrhage. Serum insulin-like growth factor 1 and oral glucose–suppressed serum growth hormone levels were normal, suggestive of inactive or silent disease. Pituitary apoplexy causing spontaneous remission of acromegaly was diagnosed, and close follow-up was planned for the evolution of hypopituitarism.

Conclusion: This case highlights a rare presentation of acromegaly in which an episode of symptomatic pituitary apoplexy revealed the diagnosis of pituitary adenoma and led to the cure of growth hormone hypersecretion.

Spontaneous preoperative pituitary adenoma resolution following apoplexy: a case presentation and literature review

Purpose: We aim to more fully understand the incidence and natural history of spontaneously resolving non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs).Methods: We report a case of spontaneous complete resolution of a NFPA revealed by preoperative magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, we searched all major databases and neurosurgery journals to perform a comprehensive literature review of all previously reported cases of spontaneously resolving NFPAs. We discuss how these cases may contribute to our understanding of the natural course for non-functional pituitary adenomas.Results: To date, only twelve cases of spontaneously resolving nonfunctional pituitary adenomas have previously been reported. The presented case is the first reported spontaneously resolved nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma to recur. In all cases, apoplexy resulted in resolution of mass effect, obviating the need for surgical decompression.Conclusions: In all NFPA cases, the preoperative MRI should always be studied closely before surgery is initiated. Additionally, because we have demonstrated that the adenoma may regrow after spontaneous regression following apoplexy, these patients should be followed with regular serial MRIs to monitor for recurrence.

Ectopic Acromegaly Arising from a Pituitary Adenoma within the Bony Intersphenoid Septum of a Patient with Empty Sella Syndrome

Objective

 To describe the work-up and treatment of rare ectopic acromegaly caused by a biopsy-proven somatotroph pituitary adenoma located within the bony intersphenoid septum of a patient with empty sella syndrome (ESS).

Methods

 We report the presentation, clinical course, diagnostic work-up, and lesion localization and treatment challenges encountered in a 55-year-old patient, with a brief review of relevant literature.

Results

 A 55-year-old African-American man presented with acromegaly and ESS. Attempts to definitively localize the causative tumor were unsuccessful, though petrosal sinus sampling supported central growth hormone production and imaging suggested bone-enclosed subsellar pituitary tissue. Endoscopic endonasal transphenoidal exploration was undertaken with resection of a somatotroph pituitary microadenoma, and subsequent clinical improvement and biochemical remission. Retrospective review revealed the patient's pituitary to have been located ectopically within a unique bony intersphenoid septum.

Conclusion

 This report describes the first known case of an ectopic pituitary adenoma located within the midline bony intersphenoid septum, which we postulate to have resulted from anomalous embryological pituitary migration. Intra-intersphenoid septal tumors should be considered in cases of apparent central acromegaly with ESS or absence of tumor tissue within the paranasal sinuses or other peripheral locations.

Indexing

 Acromegaly, ESS, pituitary adenoma, sphenoid sinus septum.

Pituitary Apoplexy

Pituitary apoplexy, a rare clinical syndrome secondary to abrupt hemorrhage or infarction, complicates 2%-12% of pituitary adenomas, especially nonfunctioning tumors. Headache of sudden and severe onset is the main symptom, sometimes associated with visual disturbances or ocular palsy. Signs of meningeal irritation or altered consciousness may complicate the diagnosis. Precipitating factors (increase in intracranial pressure, arterial hypertension, major surgery, anticoagulant therapy or dynamic testing, etc) may be identified. Corticotropic deficiency with adrenal insufficiency may be life threatening if left untreated. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging confirms the diagnosis by revealing a pituitary tumor with hemorrhagic and/or necrotic components. Formerly considered a neurosurgical emergency, pituitary apoplexy always used to be treated surgically. Nowadays, conservative management is increasingly used in selected patients (those without important visual acuity or field defects and with normal consciousness), because successive publications give converging evidence that a wait-and-see approach may also provide excellent outcomes in terms of oculomotor palsy, pituitary function and subsequent tumor growth. However, it must be kept in mind that studies comparing surgical approach and conservative management were retrospective and not controlled.

Remission of acromegaly after pituitary apoplexy: case report and review of literature

OBJECTIVE

To identify and present cases of acromegaly in which pituitary apoplexy resulted in remission of acromegaly, with normalization of insulinlike growth factor-I and growth hormone levels.

METHODS

We present a case history of a personal patient and review the related literature in PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE.

RESULTS

A 34-year-old man with classic acromegaly had spontaneous pituitary apoplexy, resulting in remission of his acromegaly and diabetes. Moreover, we identified 21 other similar cases in the literature and analyze the clinical presentations, possible apoplexy triggers, and hormonal sequelae. All these patients were "cured" of acromegaly, and 68% of them experienced other pituitary hormone insufficiencies after pituitary apoplexy, including 2 cases of panhypopituitarism.

CONCLUSION

Pituitary apoplexy can result in remission of acromegaly and in partial or complete anterior or posterior (or both) pituitary insufficiency. Thus, after suspected or confirmed pituitary apoplexy, pituitary hormone secretion must be reevaluated. This assessment may result in initiation of appropriate substitution therapy, a change in management of growth hormone overproduction, or both interventions.

Pituitary Apoplexy due to Pituitary Adenoma Infarction

Cause of pituitary apoplexy has been known as hemorrhage, hemorrhagic infarction or infarction of pituitary adenoma or adjacent tissues of pituitary gland. However, pituitary apoplexy caused by pure infarction of pituitary adenoma has been rarely reported. Here, we present the two cases pituitary apoplexies caused by pituitary adenoma infarction that were confirmed by transsphenoidal approach (TSA) and pathologic reports. Pathologic report of first case revealed total tumor infarction of a nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenoma and second case partial tumor infarction of ACTH secreting pituitary macroadenoma. Patients with pituitary apoplexy which was caused by pituitary adenoma infarction unrelated to hemorrhage or hemorrhagic infarction showed good response to TSA treatment. Further study on the predisposing factors of pituitary apoplexy and the mechanism of infarction in pituitary adenoma is necessary.

Spontaneous remission of functioning pituitary adenomas without hypopituitarism following infarctive apoplexy: two case reports

Functioning pituitary adenomas may exhibit spontaneous remission after pituitary apoplexy usually in association with hypopituitarism. We report two patients who presented with sudden headache and double vision, showed a ring-enhanced sellar tumor on MRI, underwent transsphenoidal surgery that revealed a coagulation necrotic adenoma without massive hemorrhage, and showed normal pituitary function after the surgery. Definitive diagnoses were made based on immunohistochemistry of the necrotic cells. The findings were consistent with the presence of selective infarct of a GH adenoma and a prolactinoma that had led to remission of acromegaly and menstrual disturbance, respectively, without pituitary insufficiency. In contrast to hemorrhagic apoplexy, infarctive apoplexy tends to affect only the tumor and thus presents with mild symptoms and lack pituitary deficiencies.