Objective: A case of giant pituitary neuroendocrine tumor presented along with acute visual loss due to pituitary apoplexy after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination is reported.
Case presentation: A 45-year-old man was referred for a giant pituitary tumor with bitemporal hemianopsia. A surgical procedure was planned and then delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Japan, with a Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine administered while awaiting surgery. Three days after the second COVID-19 vaccination the patient noted a progressively worsening headache that caused pituitary apoplexy and then a decrease in vision. Emergency surgery was thus performed.
Conclusion: Pituitary apoplexy is a rare and life-threatening complication that may occur after undergoing a COVID-19 vaccination.
Keywords: MRI magnetic resonance imaging; coronavirus disease 2019; covid vaccination; endonasal endoscopic surgery abbreviations COVID-19; giant pituitary neuroendocrine tumor; pituitary apoplexy.
© 2023 Tanaka, Nishimura, Nakase, Yokoyama, Nakagawa, Yamada, Tamura, Matsuda, Takeshima, Kotsugi, Park and Nakase.