Pituitary apoplexy in a 19-year-old woman: An uncommon age and gender presentation

I  Ketut Aryawan; Jovita  Jutamulia

Authors

I Ketut Aryawan Bali Mandara Eye Hospital, Denpasar-Bali, Indonesia
Jovita Jutamulia Bali Mandara Eye Hospital, Denpasar-Bali, Indonesia

Keywords:

Bilateral hemianopia, case reports, optic chiasm, pituitary adenoma, pituitary apoplexy

Abstract

Pituitary apoplexy is a rare clinical syndrome that is caused by acute hemorrhage or infarction of the pituitary gland. It is most frequently reported in men during the 5thand 6thdecades of life and is rarely encountered in young women. In this report, we describe a 19-year-old woman who presented with acute visual disturbance accompanied by occasional mild headaches. Ophthalmologic examination revealed bitemporal hemianopia, and head magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an intrasellar mass with suprasellar extension, intratumoral hemorrhage, and optic chiasm compression, consistent with a pituitary macroadenoma with apoplexy. The patient also had a history of secondary amenorrhea, thereby suggesting possible endocrine dysfunction. This case highlights the importance of considering pituitary apoplexy in young patients with acute visual disturbances.

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