Hemorrhage Into Pituitary Adenomata

Abstract

SINCE Brougham et al⁶ in 1950 reviewed the literature and reported five new cases of pituitary apoplexy, there has been an increasing interest in the subject. Subsequent physicians^22,26,45 reporting their clinical experiences have cited other recorded cases so that the total number now stands at or near 85.^{2-11,13-15,17-26, 30-33,35-49} We have recently treated two additional patients with spontaneous hemorrhage into pituitary adenomata. The details of these are reported here. Clinical Summaries Case 1.—A 63-year-old bricklayer was transferred from another hospital on April 29, 1960, for evaluation of headache, diplopia, drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting of five days duration. In 1954 a routine chest x-ray had shown multiple pulmonary densities which were thought to represent silicosis. However, metastatic tumor was considered, and a lateral skull film taken as part of a routine metastatic bone series showed an enlarged sella turcica. Endocrine studies showed normal 17-ketosteroid and 17-hydroxysteroid excretion values