Pituitary apoplexy differential diagnosis

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Akshun Kalia M.B.B.S.[2]

Overview

Pituitary apoplexy must be differentiated from other diseases that cause severe headache such as subarachnoid hemorrhage, meningitis, intracranial mass, cerebral hemorrhage, cerebral infarction, intracranial venous thrombosis, migraine, head injury, and lymphocytic hypophysitis.

Differentiating Pituitary apoplexy From Other Diseases

Pituitary apoplexy should be differentiated from other diseases causing severe headache for example: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]

Onset Disease Symptoms Gold Standard Test CT/MRI Findings Other Investigation Findings
Headache Characteristics Associated Features
Sudden Pituitary apoplexy Severe headache MRI Blood tests may be done to check:
Subarachnoid hemorrhage Digital subtraction angiography
Meningitis Headache is associated with: Lumbar puncture for CSF
Cerebral hemorrhage Rapidly progressing headache CT without contrast

(differentiates ischemic stroke from hemorrhagic stroke)

Migraine
  • Severe to moderate headache
  • One-sided
  • Pulsating
  • Lasts between several hours to three days
---
  • CT and MRI may be needed to rule out other suspected possible causes of headache
Head injury (Epidural hematoma)
  • Dull
  • Throbbing
  • One sided or all around
CT scan without contrast
Lymphocytic hypophysitis Pituitary biopsy CT & MRI typically reveal features of a pituitary mass The most accurate test is a pituitary biopsy which will show lymphocytic infiltration
Gradual Intracranial mass Morning headache MRI
  • CT or MRI is the initial test to detect intracranial lesions (ring enhancing lesions)
  • These imaging tests determine the location of intracranial mass lesion(s) and help in guiding therapy
Intracranial venous thrombosis Digital subtraction angiography

Pituitary apoplexy should be differentiated from other diseases causing hypopituitarism.[10][12][13][14][15][16][17]

Diseases Onset Manifestations Diagnosis
History and Symptoms Physical examination Laboratory findings Gold standard Imaging Other investigation findings
Trumatic delivery Lactation failure Menstrual irregularities Other features
Sheehan's syndrome Acute ++ ++ Oligo/amenorrhea Symptoms of:
  • Clinical diagnosis
  • Most senitive test: Low baseline prolactin levels w/o response to TRH
CT/MRI:
  • Sequential changes of pituitary enlargement followed by:
  • Shrinkage and necrosis leading to decreased sellar volume or empty sella
Lymphocytic hypophysitis Acute +/- + Oligo/amenorrhea
  • Retro-orbital or Bitemporal pain
  • Diffuse and homogeneous contrast enhancement
Assays for:
  • Anti-TPO
  • Anti-Tg Ab
Pituitary apoplexy Acute +/- ++ Oligo/amenorrhea Severe headache
  • Decreased levels of anterior pituitary hormones in blood.
  • CT scan without contrast: Hemorrhage on CT presents as a hyperdense lesion

Blood tests may be done to check:

Empty sella syndrome Chronic - + Oligo/amenorrhea
  • Decreased levels of pituitary hormones in blood.
Simmonds' disease/Pituitary cachexia Chronic +/- + Oligo/amenorrhea
  • Loss of body hair
  • Decreased levels of anterior pituitary hormones in blood.
  • Done to rule out any pituitary cause
Hypothyroidism Chronic +/- - Oligomenorrhea/menorrhagia
  • Dry skin
  • Hair loss
  • Normal/ low TSH
  • Rest of pituitary hormone levels WNL
  • Done to rule out any pituitary cause
  • Assays for anti-TPO and anti-Tg Ab
  • FNA biopsy
Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism Chronic - - Oligo/amenorrhea
  • Energy and mood changes
  • Done to rule out any pituitary cause
Hypoprolactinemia Chronic - + -
  • Puerperal agalactogenesis
  • No workup is necessary
  • Decreased prolactin levels
  • Done to rule out any pituitary cause
Panhypopituitarism Chronic - + Oligo/amenorrhea
  • All pituitary hormones decreased
  • Done to rule out any pituitary cause
Primary adrenal insufficiency/Addison's disease Chronic - - -
  • Abdominal CT
  • Abdominal CT
  • Anti-adrenal Ab testing
Menopause Chronic - +/- Oligo/amenorrhea Normal

References

  1. Endrit Ziu & Fassil Mesfin (2017). "Subarachnoid Hemorrhage". PMID 28722987.
  2. Benedikt Schwermer, Daniel Eschle & Constantine Bloch-Infanger (2017). "[Fever and Headache after a Vacation in Thailand]". Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift (1946). 142 (14): 1063–1066. doi:10.1055/s-0043-106282. PMID 28728201.
  3. Otto Rapalino & Mark E. Mullins (2017). "Intracranial Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases Presenting as Neurosurgical Pathologies". Neurosurgery. doi:10.1093/neuros/nyx201. PMID 28575459.
  4. I. B. Komarova, V. P. Zykov, L. V. Ushakova, E. K. Nazarova, E. B. Novikova, O. V. Shuleshko & M. G. Samigulina (2017). "[Clinical and neuroimaging signs of cardioembolic stroke laboratory in children]". Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova. 117 (3. Vyp. 2): 11–19. doi:10.17116/jnevro20171173211-19. PMID 28665364.
  5. Sanjay Konakondla, Clemens M. Schirmer, Fengwu Li, Xiaogun Geng & Yuchuan Ding (2017). "New Developments in the Pathophysiology, Workup, and Diagnosis of Dural Venous Sinus Thrombosis (DVST) and a Systematic Review of Endovascular Treatments". Aging and disease. 8 (2): 136–148. doi:10.14336/AD.2016.0915. PMID 28400981.
  6. Priyanka Yadav, Alec L. Bradley & Jonathan H. Smith (2017). "Recognition of Chronic Migraine by Medicine Trainees: A Cross-Sectional Survey". Headache. doi:10.1111/head.13133. PMID 28653369.
  7. S. Wulffeld, L. S. Rasmussen, B. Hojlund Bech & J. Steinmetz (2017). "The effect of CT scanners in the trauma room - an observational study". Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica. 61 (7): 832–840. doi:10.1111/aas.12927. PMID 28635146.
  8. Johnston PC, Chew LS, Hamrahian AH, Kennedy L (2015). "Lymphocytic infundibulo-neurohypophysitis: a clinical overview". Endocrine. 50 (3): 531–6. doi:10.1007/s12020-015-0707-6. PMID 26219407.
  9. Makale MT, McDonald CR, Hattangadi-Gluth JA, Kesari S (2017). "Mechanisms of radiotherapy-associated cognitive disability in patients with brain tumours". Nat Rev Neurol. 13 (1): 52–64. doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2016.185. PMID 27982041.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Sato N, Sze G, Endo K (1998). "Hypophysitis: endocrinologic and dynamic MR findings". AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 19 (3): 439–44. PMID 9541295.
  11. Kidwell CS, Saver JL, Villablanca JP, Duckwiler G, Fredieu A, Gough K, Leary MC, Starkman S, Gobin YP, Jahan R, Vespa P, Liebeskind DS, Alger JR, Vinuela F (2002). "Magnetic resonance imaging detection of microbleeds before thrombolysis: an emerging application". Stroke. 33 (1): 95–8. PMID 11779895.
  12. Powrie JK, Powell M, Ayers AB, Lowy C, Sönksen PH (1995). "Lymphocytic adenohypophysitis: magnetic resonance imaging features of two new cases and a review of the literature". Clin. Endocrinol. (Oxf). 42 (3): 315–22. PMID 7758238.
  13. Honegger J, Schlaffer S, Menzel C, Droste M, Werner S, Elbelt U, Strasburger C, Störmann S, Küppers A, Streetz-van der Werf C, Deutschbein T, Stieg M, Rotermund R, Milian M, Petersenn S (2015). "Diagnosis of Primary Hypophysitis in Germany". J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 100 (10): 3841–9. doi:10.1210/jc.2015-2152. PMID 26262437.
  14. Thodou E, Asa SL, Kontogeorgos G, Kovacs K, Horvath E, Ezzat S (1995). "Clinical case seminar: lymphocytic hypophysitis: clinicopathological findings". J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 80 (8): 2302–11. doi:10.1210/jcem.80.8.7629223. PMID 7629223.
  15. Imura H, Nakao K, Shimatsu A, Ogawa Y, Sando T, Fujisawa I, Yamabe H (1993). "Lymphocytic infundibuloneurohypophysitis as a cause of central diabetes insipidus". N. Engl. J. Med. 329 (10): 683–9. doi:10.1056/NEJM199309023291002. PMID 8345854.
  16. Hsieh CY, Liu BY, Yang YN, Yin WH, Young MS (2011). "Massive pericardial effusion with diastolic right ventricular compression secondary to hypothyroidism in a 73-year-old woman". Emerg Med Australas. 23 (3): 372–5. doi:10.1111/j.1742-6723.2011.01425.x. PMID 21668725.
  17. Dejager S, Gerber S, Foubert L, Turpin G (1998). "Sheehan's syndrome: differential diagnosis in the acute phase". J. Intern. Med. 244 (3): 261–6. PMID 9747750.

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