Pituitary Apoplexy

Excerpt

Pituitary apoplexy is a condition in which there is a hemorrhage or infarction of the pituitary gland. This disorder usually occurs in a pre-existing pituitary adenoma. The term pituitary apoplexy or apoplexia refers to the "sudden death" of the pituitary gland, usually caused by an acute ischemic infarction or hemorrhage. Pearce Bailey described the first case of pituitary tumor-associated hemorrhage in 1898, but the term pituitary apoplexy referring to both necrosis and bleeding into pituitary tumors was first used in 1950 by Brougham et al. Pituitary apoplexy is a medical and surgical emergency in many cases. Prompt identification and evaluation are imperative to improve outcomes.