Emergency ventricular drainage plus systemic antibiotics saved an elderly patient with intraventricular rupture as a result of a pituitary abscess

Abstract

AbstractA pituitary abscess is a rare intracranial infection, and direct transsphenoidal surgery is common for the therapy. Intracranial rupture of the pituitary abscess is usually fatal. Here, we report a 76‐year‐old woman with a pituitary abscess who showed headaches, left eyelid ptosis, periorbital swelling and external eye movement disturbances in the left eye. Although her symptoms initially improved after therapy with systemic antibiotics, the pituitary abscess suddenly developed an intraventricular rupture on admission day 27. However, emergency ventricular drainage in combination with different antibiotics gradually improved her condition. The present case suggests that the combination of emergency ventricular drainage and systemic antibiotic administration could serve as an alternative choice to manage pituitary abscesses of ventricular ruptures, especially in elderly patients.