Manifestation of a sellar hemangioblastoma due to pituitary apoplexy: a case report

Bibliographic Details
Title: Manifestation of a sellar hemangioblastoma due to pituitary apoplexy: a case report
Authors: Sahli Rahel, Vajtai Istvan, Schär Ralph T, Seiler Rolf W
Source: Journal of Medical Case Reports, Vol 5, Iss 1, p 496 (2011)
Publisher Information: BMC, 2011.
Publication Year: 2011
Collection: LCC:Medicine
Subject Terms: Medicine
More Details: Abstract Introduction Hemangioblastomas are rare, benign tumors occurring in any part of the nervous system. Most are found as sporadic tumors in the cerebellum or spinal cord. However, these neoplasms are also associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease. We report a rare case of a sporadic sellar hemangioblastoma that became symptomatic due to pituitary apoplexy. Case presentation An 80-year-old, otherwise healthy Caucasian woman presented to our facility with severe headache attacks, hypocortisolism and blurred vision. A magnetic resonance imaging scan showed an acute hemorrhage of a known, stable and asymptomatic sellar mass lesion with chiasmatic compression accounting for our patient's acute visual impairment. The tumor was resected by a transnasal, transsphenoidal approach and histological examination revealed a capillary hemangioblastoma (World Health Organization grade I). Our patient recovered well and substitutional therapy was started for panhypopituitarism. A follow-up magnetic resonance imaging scan performed 16 months postoperatively showed good chiasmatic decompression with no tumor recurrence. Conclusions A review of the literature confirmed supratentorial locations of hemangioblastomas to be very unusual, especially within the sellar region. However, intrasellar hemangioblastoma must be considered in the differential diagnosis of pituitary apoplexy.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 1752-1947
Relation: http://www.jmedicalcasereports.com/content/5/1/496; https://doaj.org/toc/1752-1947
DOI: 10.1186/1752-1947-5-496
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/6f30aaeea0d141fb9d5d655884e3d221
Accession Number: edsdoj.6f30aaeea0d141fb9d5d655884e3d221
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:17521947
DOI:10.1186/1752-1947-5-496
Published in:Journal of Medical Case Reports
Language:English