Pituitary abscess showing high uptake of thallium-201 on single photon emission computed tomography--case report

Pituitary abscess: a case report and systematic review of 488 cases

BACKGROUND

Pituitary abscess (PA) is a rare condition and not well understood. We aimed to describe a case and perform a comprehensive systematic review to explore presenting symptoms, radiological findings, endocrine abnormalities and mortality.

AIM

To identify presenting symptoms, radiological findings, endocrinological abnormalities and predictors of mortality for PA.

METHODS

We systematically reviewed the literature to identify all case reports of PA. Data regarding presentation, mortality, radiological findings, endocrinological abnormalities and treatment was extracted.

RESULTS

We identified 488 patients from 218 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Mortality was 5.1%, with days to presentation (OR 1.0005, 95% CI 1.0001-1.0008, p < 0.01) being the only identified independent predictor of mortality. Mortality rates have decreased over time, with cases published prior to 2000 having higher mortality rates (OR 6.92, 95% CI 2.80-17.90, p < 0.001). The most common symptom was headache (76.2%), followed by visual field defects (47.3%). Classical signs of infection were only present in 43%. The most common imaging feature on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was high T2 and low T1 signal of the pituitary gland with peripheral contrast enhancement. Over half (54.8%) were culture negative, with the most common bacterial organism being staphylococcus aureus (7.8%) and fungal organism being aspergillus (8.8%). The most common endocrine abnormality was hypopituitarism (41.1%), followed by diabetes insipidus (24.8%). Whilst symptoms resolved in most patients, persistent endocrine abnormalities were present in over half of patients (61.0%).

CONCLUSION

PA is associated with significant mortality, with delayed presentation increasing risk of mortality. Ongoing endocrinological abnormalities are common. Given the non-specific clinical presentation, the appearance of high T2, low T1 and peripheral contrast enhancement of the pituitary on MRI should prompt consideration of this rare disease.

Pituitary Abscess: A Challenging Preoperative Diagnosis—A Multicenter Study

Background and Objectives: Pituitary abscess (PA) is a rare occurrence, representing less than 1% of pituitary lesions, and is defined by the presence of an infected purulent collection within the sella turcica. Pas can be classified as either primary, when the underlying pituitary is normal prior to infection, or secondary, when there is associated a pre-existing sellar pathology (i.e., pituitary adenoma, Rathke’s cleft cysts, or craniopharyngioma), with or without a recent history of surgery. Preoperative diagnosis, owing to both non-specific symptoms and imaging features, remains challenging. Treatment options include endonasal trans-sphenoidal pus evacuation, as well as culture and tailored antibiotic therapy. Methods: A retrospective multicenter study, conducted on a prospectively built database over a 20-year period, identified a large series of 84 patients harboring primary sellar abscess. The study aimed to identify crucial clinical and imaging features in order to accelerate appropriate management. Results: The most common clinical presentation was a symptom triad consisting of various degrees of asthenia (75%), visual impairment (71%), and headache (50%). Diagnosis was achieved in 95% of cases peri- or postoperatively. Functional recovery was good for visual disturbances and headache. Pituitary function recovery remained very poor (23%), whereas the preoperative diagnosis represented a protective factor. Conclusions: In light of the high prevalence of pituitary dysfunction following the management of PAs, early diagnosis and treatment might represent a crucial issue. Currently, there are no standard investigations to establish a conclusive preoperative diagnosis; however, new, emerging imaging methods, in particular nuclear imaging modalities, represent a very promising tool, whose potential warrants further investigations.

Pituitary abscess

Pituitary abscess is an uncommon pituitary lesion. Its clinical diagnosis can be difficult to distinguish from other pituitary lesions. This pathology is characterised by vague symptoms of headaches, generalised tiredness and hypopituitarism manifestations. A history of recent meningitis, paranasal sinusitis or head surgery can be a suggestive of the source of infection.

A 20-year-old man was admitted to neurosurgery department with complain of headache, fatigue, polyuria, polydipsia, blurred vision and sexual dysfunction. MRI of the head revealed a suprasellar mass that was centrally hyperintense lesion on T2-weighted images with peripheral hypointensity and isointense centrally on T1 images with peripheral hyperintensity images. Treatment of this lesion pituitary abscess was surgical drainage of the pituitary area through a trans-sphenoidal approach and broad spectrum antibiotic therapy with ceftriaxone, metronidazole and vancomycin for 6 weeks. The patient continues to have pituitary insufficiency and treated with oral hydrocortisone.

Although pituitary abscess is a rare condition, it should always be kept in mind when evaluating a patient with hypopituitarism. After the diagnosis, the surgery and antibiotics should be commenced rapidly. The outcome is usually good with proper treatment.

Pituitary abscess: our experience with a case and a review of the literature

Pituitary abscess is a rare disease. Due to its potentially high mortality and morbidity rate, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of sellar masses. Despite recent advances in radiological investigations, making a definitive diagnosis preoperatively remains challenging. This 45-year-old Indian gentleman presented with severe throbbing headache for six months. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed a sellar mass with peripheral enhancement that was misdiagnosed as a pituitary macroadenoma. A trans-sphenoidal excision was done, which surprisingly yielded only pus that was drained accordingly from the lesion. Fungal and bacterial cultures were negative. However this patient subsequently lost complete function of the pituitary gland, resulting in central diabetes insipidus and required permanent hormonal replacement therapy in the deficient endocrine axes. A Medline search was conducted and a review of 24 cases reported in the last 5 years discussed.

Presumed Pituitary Abscess Without Infectious Source Treated Successfully With Antibiotics Alone

A 12-year-old girl developed acute frontal headache and severe visual loss in both eyes. A presumptive diagnosis of pituitary abscess was made on the basis of suggestive magnetic resonance imaging findings. These consisted of a large non-enhancing area within the pituitary gland and thin irregular glandular rim enhancement. There was no evidence of pre-existing intracranial or systemic infection. The patient recovered completely after treatment with intravenous and oral antibiotics without surgical drainage. This case highlights the need for a high index of suspicion for pituitary abscess based on unusual imaging findings even when there is no source of infection.