A Case of Pituitary Apoplexy Misdiagnosed as Aseptic Meningitis.
- Author:
Yu Seon YUN
1
;
Eun Sook KIM
;
Jung Ah SHIN
;
Moo Il KANG
;
Kun Ho YOON
;
Bong Yun CHA
;
Ho Young SON
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. hys@catholic.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Pituitary apoplexy;
Hypopituitarism;
Meningitis;
Aseptic
- MeSH:
Brain;
Decompression;
Diagnosis, Differential;
Emergencies;
Fever;
Headache;
Humans;
Hypopituitarism;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging;
Meningitis;
Meningitis, Aseptic;
Nausea;
Ophthalmoplegia;
Pituitary Apoplexy
- From:Korean Journal of Medicine
2011;80(1):102-107
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Pituitary apoplexy is a clinical syndrome caused by an acute ischemic or hemorrhagic vascular accident. Although pituitary apoplexy is an emergency, it is often overlooked because it is rare and presents with various signs and symptoms, including those of neurologic and endocrine disorders. We describe a case of pituitary apoplexy misdiagnosed as aseptic meningitis accompanied by acute-onset headache and nausea, followed by fever. Subsequently, it was revealed as pituitary apoplexy by brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed when the clinical course worsened and ophthalmoplegia developed. We suggest that pituitary apoplexy be included in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with headache or signs of meningeal irritation; when there is no clinical improvement, prompt steroid treatment should be started, while considering neurological decompression to prevent neurological sequelae.
