title: [Giant parasellar aneurysm simulating pituitary tumor].
abstract: Seven cases of compromised pituitary fossa at the conventional skull X-ray, who had the final diagnosis of giant aneurysm of the intracavernous portion of the carotid artery (6 cases) and one of the anterior communicating artery, are reported. The main findings were: headache (7/7), complex ophthalmoplegia involving the III, IV and VI cranial nerves (5/7), compromised V cranial nerve (4/7) and eyeball pain (4/7). Other manifestations were: meningeal signs (2/7), unilateral blindness (1/7), hemiparesis (1/7), cacosmia (1/7) and inferior bitemporal quadrantanopsia (1/7). Five patients with intracavernous carotid artery aneurysm showed benefits with progressive occlusion of the internal carotid artery at the cervical level. One died before surgery. The case with anterior communicating artery aneurysm improved after its surgical clipping. Our data, in accord with the literature, support the conclusion that the differential diagnosis of aneurysms in the parasellar region remains a very difficult task. The accurate final diagnosis requires cerebral angiography and the surgical treatment with progressive occlusion at the cervical portion of the internal carotid artery has a relatively low risk with promising results.
authors.affiliation: Núcleo de Neuroendocrinologia, Unidade de Neurocirurgia, Hospital de Base do Distrito Federal, Brasilia, Brasil.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: da Motta
authors.forename: M de N
authors.initials: Mde N
authors.lastname: Hermes Júnior
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gagliardi
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: da Motta
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: de Mendonça
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farage Filho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012658:Sella Turcica / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
vernacular_title: Aneurisma gigante parasselar simulando tumor de hipófise.