title: Pituitary adenoma apoplexy caused by rupture of an anterior communicating artery aneurysm: case report and literature review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pituitary adenoma combined with intracranial aneurysm is not rare. Some aneurysms are located inside pituitary adenomas, and most do not rupture. Pituitary apoplexy caused by aneurysm rupture is rare and is easily misdiagnosed as simple pituitary adenoma apoplexy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we report one case of rare pituitary adenoma apoplexy caused by the rupture of an anterior communicating artery aneurysm. The patient was a 49-year-old male who had an untreated pituitary adenoma for 3 years. The patient experienced a sudden headache; computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed pituitary adenoma apoplexy and significant subarachnoid hemorrhage. Cranial CT angiography (CTA) showed a communicating artery aneurysm. Supratentorial intracranial aneurysm clipping and pituitary adenoma resection were performed. The aneurysm was a ruptured aneurysm located inside the pituitary adenoma. During the surgery, the aneurysm was clipped, and the majority of the tumor was resected. The patient recovered well after the surgery and received radiotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This rare case demonstrates that when pituitary adenoma apoplexy is combined with subarachnoid hemorrhage, the possibility of a combined intrasellar aneurysm should be considered. During transsphenoidal tumor resection, aneurysm rupture should be avoided to prevent disastrous consequences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Avenue, Changchun, 130021, China. jlyu@jlu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Kan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Avenue, Changchun, 130021, China. 47910425@qq.com.
authors.forename: Yongjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Avenue, Changchun, 130021, China. 56773130@qq.com.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, First Hospital of Jilin University, 71 Xinmin Avenue, Changchun, 130021, China. jinluyu@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Jinlu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D017542:Aneurysm, Ruptured / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010899:Pituitary Apoplexy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed