Pituitary apoplexy goes to the bar: litigation for delayed diagnosis, deficient vision, and death.
Over the past 15 years, I have reviewed the records of six patients whose physicians were alleged to have failed to diagnose a pituitary tumor before it bled ("apoplexy") or failed to recognize apoplexy after it had occurred. These cases were referred by attorneys involved in lawsuits alleging medical negligence. Their histories are summarized here from available clinical records, depositions, and other legal documents. None of these cases is still in litigation. The purpose of this commentary is to show how such legal case material is useful in alerting the medical community to pitfalls in diagnosis.
David
Noble J
NJ
Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA. nobbyd@earthlink.net
D000328:Adult; D001766:Blindness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D002423:Cause of Death; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010899:Pituitary Apoplexy / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality; D013997:Time Factors