True pituitary surgical emergencies are rare. These events can occur throughout the perioperative period and are broadly categorized by the timing of occurrence. Acute indications for emergent pituitary surgery include pituitary apoplexy, vision loss, and severe Cushing presentation. Emergencies may also occur intraoperatively, secondary to bleeding. Postoperative emergencies include epistaxis, pneumocephalus, and intracranial bleeding. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak occurs in about 37.4% of transsphenoidal sellar surgery, yet postoperative CSF leaks are less frequent at approximately 2.6%. As they occur often during pituitary surgery, CSF leaks alone are generally not considered a true surgical emergency unless associated with symptomatic tension pneumocephalus.
Keywords: Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea; Pituitary apoplexy; Pituitary emergencies; Pituitary surgery; Severe Cushing; Vision loss.
Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.