Loss of vision due to a physiologic pituitary enlargement during normal pregnancy

Abstract

Physiologic pituitary enlargement during normal pregnancy is well known, but we are unaware of previous reports on a natural course of visual loss due to this disease. A 30-year-old woman presented blurred vision in the left eye from the 30th week of pregnancy. At 38 weeks visual acuity was 0.9 in the left eye. Automated perimetry revealed a mild central visual defect in the left eye. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan revealed pituitary enlargement with compression of the anterior optic chiasm. We observed the natural course of this case. At 16 weeks after delivery, visual acuity was 1.5 in both eyes with normal visual field, and an MRI scan revealed a normal-sized pituitary without compression of the optic chiasm. Ophthalmologists should be aware of visual loss by physiologic pituitary enlargement to avoid unreasonable neurosurgical procedures.