title: Loss of vision due to a physiologic pituitary enlargement during normal pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physiologic pituitary enlargement during normal pregnancy is well known, but we are unaware of previous reports on a natural course of visual loss due to this disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 30-year-old woman presented blurred vision in the left eye from the 30th week of pregnancy. At 38 weeks visual acuity was 0.9 in the left eye. Automated perimetry revealed a mild central visual defect in the left eye. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan revealed pituitary enlargement with compression of the anterior optic chiasm. We observed the natural course of this case.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 16 weeks after delivery, visual acuity was 1.5 in both eyes with normal visual field, and an MRI scan revealed a normal-sized pituitary without compression of the optic chiasm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ophthalmologists should be aware of visual loss by physiologic pituitary enlargement to avoid unreasonable neurosurgical procedures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto, Japan. noel@da2.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.forename: Maiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Awai
authors.forename: Hidenobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanihara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014792:Visual Acuity; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014794:Visual Fields
chemical_list: D011388:Prolactin