Pituitary Apoplexy as a Complication of COVID-19 Infection

Hassan Hussain; Kvc Janaka; D T Muthukuda; S G Perera

doi:10.7759/cureus.43524

Pituitary Apoplexy as a Complication of COVID-19 Infection

Cureus. 2023 Aug 15;15(8):e43524. doi: 10.7759/cureus.43524. eCollection 2023 Aug.

Authors

Hassan Hussain¹, Kvc Janaka², D T Muthukuda³, S G Perera⁴

Affiliations

¹ General Medicine, Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital, Colombo, LKA.
² Internal Medicine, Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital, Colombo, LKA.
³ Endocrinology, Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital, Colombo, LKA.
⁴ Pulmonology, Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital, Colombo, LKA.

Abstract

Pituitary apoplexy (PA) is a complication occurring due to hemorrhage and/or infarction in a pituitary adenoma due to various pathophysiological mechanisms. Herein, we report a case of a 47-year-old previously healthy male who presented with fever and reduced level of consciousness for one day. During the hospital stay, he was diagnosed with PA in a background of pituitary macroadenoma along with positive nasopharyngeal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Even though the PA was successfully managed, the patient succumbed four days after admission due to respiratory failure caused by severe COVID-19 pneumonia.

Keywords: covid-19; ground-glass opacities; headache; pituitary apoplexy; pituitary macroadenoma; pneumonia; sellar lesion; thrombocytopenia.

Publication types

Case Reports