title: Pituitary Apoplexy.
abstract: Pituitary apoplexy, a rare clinical syndrome secondary to abrupt hemorrhage or infarction, complicates 2%-12% of pituitary adenomas, especially nonfunctioning tumors. Headache of sudden and severe onset is the main symptom, sometimes associated with visual disturbances or ocular palsy. Signs of meningeal irritation or altered consciousness may complicate the diagnosis. Precipitating factors (increase in intracranial pressure, arterial hypertension, major surgery, anticoagulant therapy or dynamic testing, etc) may be identified. Corticotropic deficiency with adrenal insufficiency may be life threatening if left untreated. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging confirms the diagnosis by revealing a pituitary tumor with hemorrhagic and/or necrotic components. Formerly considered a neurosurgical emergency, pituitary apoplexy always used to be treated surgically. Nowadays, conservative management is increasingly used in selected patients (those without important visual acuity or field defects and with normal consciousness), because successive publications give converging evidence that a wait-and-see approach may also provide excellent outcomes in terms of oculomotor palsy, pituitary function and subsequent tumor growth. However, it must be kept in mind that studies comparing surgical approach and conservative management were retrospective and not controlled.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Endocrinologie et des Maladies de la Reproduction and Centre de Référence des Maladies Endocriniennes Rares de la Croissance (C.B., S.S., P.C.), Hôpital de Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre F94275, France; Service d'Endocrinologie (C.B.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Angers, Angers 49000, France; Service d'Endocrinologie (J.-F.B.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, Liège B4000, Belgium; Unité Mixte de Recherche S1185 (P.C.), Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud; and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 1185, Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre F94276, France; and Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital (E.R.L.), Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Briet
authors.affiliation: Service d'Endocrinologie et des Maladies de la Reproduction and Centre de Référence des Maladies Endocriniennes Rares de la Croissance (C.B., S.S., P.C.), Hôpital de Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre F94275, France; Service d'Endocrinologie (C.B.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Angers, Angers 49000, France; Service d'Endocrinologie (J.-F.B.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, Liège B4000, Belgium; Unité Mixte de Recherche S1185 (P.C.), Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud; and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 1185, Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre F94276, France; and Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital (E.R.L.), Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salenave
authors.affiliation: Service d'Endocrinologie et des Maladies de la Reproduction and Centre de Référence des Maladies Endocriniennes Rares de la Croissance (C.B., S.S., P.C.), Hôpital de Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre F94275, France; Service d'Endocrinologie (C.B.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Angers, Angers 49000, France; Service d'Endocrinologie (J.-F.B.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, Liège B4000, Belgium; Unité Mixte de Recherche S1185 (P.C.), Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud; and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 1185, Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre F94276, France; and Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital (E.R.L.), Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Bonneville
authors.affiliation: Service d'Endocrinologie et des Maladies de la Reproduction and Centre de Référence des Maladies Endocriniennes Rares de la Croissance (C.B., S.S., P.C.), Hôpital de Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre F94275, France; Service d'Endocrinologie (C.B.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Angers, Angers 49000, France; Service d'Endocrinologie (J.-F.B.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, Liège B4000, Belgium; Unité Mixte de Recherche S1185 (P.C.), Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud; and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 1185, Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre F94276, France; and Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital (E.R.L.), Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: Edward R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Laws
authors.affiliation: Service d'Endocrinologie et des Maladies de la Reproduction and Centre de Référence des Maladies Endocriniennes Rares de la Croissance (C.B., S.S., P.C.), Hôpital de Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre F94275, France; Service d'Endocrinologie (C.B.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire d'Angers, Angers 49000, France; Service d'Endocrinologie (J.-F.B.), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, Liège B4000, Belgium; Unité Mixte de Recherche S1185 (P.C.), Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Sud; and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 1185, Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre F94276, France; and Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital (E.R.L.), Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chanson
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000172:deficiency; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects; D015984:Causality; D003919:Diabetes Insipidus; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache; D006470:Hemorrhage; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension; D019586:Intracranial Hypertension; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D010899:Pituitary Apoplexy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014786:Vision Disorders
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone