Intrasellar tuberculoma.

Although intrasellar tuberculomas have been reported in post-mortem examinations, they are exceptionally rare in clinical practice. Five patients with biopsy proven intrasellar tuberculoma with suprasellar extension are described. In four cases the clinical and radiological diagnosis was that of a pituitary adenoma. One patient, however, presented similar to a subarachnoid haemorrhage, but the CSF analysis was suggestive of tuberculous meningitis. All these patients presented either with intermittent headache or a sudden severe headache suggestive of an ictus. Hypopituitarism was diagnosed on clinical grounds in two patients and one patient had an associated galactorrhoea-amenorrhoea syndrome. Only one patient had a bitemporal field cut. In all other patients ophthalmological examination was normal. The CT scan showed a hyperdense sellar mass with suprasellar extension brightly enhancing with contrast in all cases. An angiogram in four patients did not reveal any vascular lesion. Laboratory investigation showed some degree of hypopituitarism in all cases. Transsphenoidal surgery was performed in four patients and operative findings were typical, and unlike those of a pituitary adenoma. All patients responded well to antituberculous treatment and at the end of 12 months were clinically and radiologically normal.