Primary pituitary abscess mimicking meningitis in a pediatric patient.

Abstract

Pituitary abscess is a rare lesion of the pituitary gland that can cause morbidity and mortality in the absence of appropriate treatment. They are classified as primary and secondary pituitary abscesses. Primary pituitary abscesses occur in patients with no previous pituitary pathology. Secondary pituitary abscesses are detected in patients with existing pituitary pathologies. We report a 16-year-old female patient with primary pituitary abscess who was misdiagnosed initially and treated as meningitis.Following the visual disturbances, pituitary abscess was diagnosed, and she underwent abscess drainage via endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery and antibiotic treatment. Primary pituitary abscess can be clinically confused with other pathologies affecting the central nervous system. In order to avoid permanentsequelae in such patients, it should be kept in mind by physicians in similar cases. Satisfying results are obtained in these patients after appropriate treatment and dramatic improvement is achieved.