Extrasellar extension of a pituitary adenoma in a patient with a normal-sized sella turcica and impaired vision from an atheromatous carotid artery

✓ Chromophobe adenomas rarely invade the brain without causing enlargement of the sella turcica and without compressing the optic nerves or chiasm. Such a case is reported, in which the patient made a complete recovery after surgical removal of the tumor. Five years later impaired vision in the other eye suggested recurrence of the adenoma. This time surgical intervention disclosed compression of the optic nerve by an atheromatous carotid artery.