Pituitary Apoplexy: A MRI Finding Case and Literature Review

Introduction: Pituitary apoplexy is an ischemic or hemorrhagic rearrangement within a pituitary adenoma. Pituitary apoplexy is a rare disease that constitutes a diagnosis and therapeutic emergency. Most of the time, apoplexy is the manifestation inaugural of an adenoma unknown, but it can also complicate a known adenoma. All adenomas can be concerned with the occurrence of apoplexy, with an equivalent risk, whether they are secreting or not and whatever the type of secretion. We report the case of a patient in whom the cranio-encephalic MRI enabled to make the diagnosis. Observation: A 57-years-old woman abruptly presented severe cephalodynia, followed by a left visual field defect. The clinical examination revealed an alteration of the consciousness to the type of obstruction and a decrease in left visual acuity is 4/10th. The cranio-encephalic MRI performed revealed an expansive intrasellar process with suprasellar extension of heterogeneous signal on all the sequences performed alternating hemorrhagic stigmata in the central tumor zone suggesting a macroadenoma having bled, compatible with pituitary apoplexy. She received medical treatment and hormonotherapy, followed by surgical excision. The outcome was satisfactory. Conclusion: Pituitary apoplexy is a rare but serious complication of pituitary adenomas. It is responsible for various neuro-ophthalmologic. Pituitary apoplexy involves the patient’s functional and vital prognosis due to acute panhypopituitarism. It is a diagnostic and therapeutic emergency. MRI is a major contribution to diagnosis. Treatment is based on the combination of hormone replacement therapy and trans-sphenoidal tumor excision.