Post-partum pituitary apoplexy with bilateral third nerve palsy and bilateral carotid occlusion

Abstract

This study describes a patient with post-partum collapse secondary to pituitary apoplexy with bilateral carotid artery occlusion. A 29-year-old female, post delivery of a healthy child, presented with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 3, fixed dilated pupils, complete ophthalmoplegia, and bilateral compression of the internal carotid arteries. These symptoms were due to a giant pituitary macroadenoma. She underwent a craniotomy and subsequently survived with minor cognitive deficits and functional vision. Bilateral carotid occlusion caused by pituitary apoplexy is rare, yet survival with only minor deficits is possible.