Tubercular pituitary abscess in a 38 years old male with tuberculous meningitis: A case report

Abstract

Introduction: Intracranial tuberculous abscess is a less common form of tuberculosis, accounting 0.15 to 4% of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Furthermore, involvement of the sellar area is one of the rarest location, with only few cases documented in the literature. This case reported a 38-year-old male who presented with chronic headache. He was clinically diagnosed and treated as a case of tuberculous meningitis (TBM), however, a cranial magnetic resonance imaging with contrast showed a sellar mass which was initially diagnosed as pituitary macroadenoma and not a sequela of TBM; with the expansile mass effect, he had new-onset bilateral hemianopia and pituitary function panel revealed central hypothyroidism and secondary adrenal insufficiency. Objective: This case report aims to identify the clinical implication of considering tuberculous abscess as differential diagnosis in the setting of a cystic sellar mass.