Complex effects of apoplexy secondary to pituitary adenoma.

Pituitary adenoma apoplexy is a well-known clinical syndrome induced by insulin infusion, cardiac surgery, trauma, and hypothalamic releasing factors. Pituitary apoplexy can cause secondary cerebral infarct and internal carotid artery occlusion. With blockade of tumor perfusion, apoplexy triggers a sudden onset of headache, visual impairment, cranial nerve palsy, disturbances of consciousness, eyelid ptosis, and hemiparesis. However, pituitary adenoma cells with high metabolic demand cannot survive with deficient blood supply and glucose concentrations. Moreover, a number of case reports have shown that spontaneous remission of syndromes, such as acromegaly, may be caused by pituitary adenoma after apoplexy. Therefore, understanding mechanism that underlies the balance between pituitary adenoma apoplexy and subsequent spontaneous remission of syndromes may suggest new approaches for treatment of pituitary adenoma apoplexy.