Apoplexy in small pituitary tumours

Abstract

Three cases are described in which the typical clinical features of pituitary apoplexy were associated with a normal pituitary fossa on plain skull radiographs. Failure to consider pituitary disease led to considerable delay in the diagnosis of two of the three patients. Catastrophic haemorrhage may occur even in small pituitary tumours and may result in the clinical syndrome of apoplexy with or without subsequent hypopituitarism.