A Case with Pituitary Abscess Presented with Acute Purulent Meningitis - Case Report

Abstract
Pituitary abscess is a rare and potentially life-threatening disease. Misdiagnosis is extremely frequent, until the drainage of purulent material during surgery because of the non-spesific clinical signs and laboratory findings. The diagnosis can be made preoperatively with awareness of the disease and careful assessment of radiological investigations, especially magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We report a 43-year-old man who presented with acute purulent meningitis. Control MRI scans, performed because of the deterioration in patient's general status during follow-up, revealed a pituitary abscess. We preferred a conservative approach initially, but abscess drainage later became essential, since there was no response to antibiotic therapy. The lesion disappeared after transsphenoidal drainage. The general health status of the patient, receiving a replacement therapy for anterior pituitary deficiency, was good  2 months after discharge. Pituitary abscess should be kept in mind in patients with acute meningitis whose clinical picture deteriorates despite the appropriate treatment. This case illustrates that the preoperative diagnosis is possible with careful evaluation, and with the treatment of this life-threatening condition, satisfactory results might be achieved.