Possible Treatments For Pituitary Apoplexy

The pituitary gland seems to be a fairly important one. It appears to control other glands and organs, such as the adrenal glands and thyroid. Unfortunately, pituitary apoplexy can compromise this gland. This may be rare, but it seems to be a medical emergency also. It may trigger significant bleeding or gland damage. There may even be death to parts of this gland. Symptoms appear to include double vision, vomiting, nausea, and a severe headache. Some individuals may see paralysis in their eye movements as well.

As a medical emergency, prompt treatment for pituitary apoplexy seems to be critical. It seems that medications for pituitary apoplexy are possible treatments. Surgical decompression for pituitary apoplexy may be a consideration too. Unfortunately, the best pituitary apoplexy treatment appears to vary. Thus, patients should consider evaluating and understanding all options first.

Cortisol Replacement Therapy

Cortisol seems to come from the adrenal glands. This hormone should be critical in many functions in the body. It may help individuals deal with stress. However, the pituitary gland can influence the adrenal glands. This may be why pituitary apoplexy can trigger issues with not having enough cortisol. Patients may see this appear as fatigue, low blood pressure, or a salt craving, among other signs.

These patients may receive cortisol replacement therapy to help. This may mean the use of some medication to replace cortisol, such as hydrocortisone. Prednisone appears to be another option. Both medications may act in a similar way to natural cortisol. For this condition, patients may receive their medication orally or through an intravenous line.

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Surgical Decompression

Surgical decompression may be another treatment for this condition. It seems to help relieve pressure on the pituitary gland. This surgery may also stop bleeding. The seriousness of the patient's symptoms appears to dictate the need for surgical decompression. Milder cases may not receive it at first. However, doctors may choose this option if patients are dealing with low consciousness or severe visual impairment.

It appears that doctors access the pituitary gland through the patient's nose in this surgery. This may help with recovery time. However, patients still seem to need close monitoring to verify their pituitary gland function. Some of them may require hormone replacement therapy during their recovery. Certain patients seem to deal with diabetes insipidus immediately following this surgery. The condition appears to compromise fluid levels in their body. This complication in their kidneys may resolve as they recover. This gland is accessed through the nose, not the skull.

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Dopamine Agonists

Dopamine seems to be necessary for normal movement in the body. However, this condition appears to cause issues with this neurotransmitter. This may compromise brain cell communication. Individuals may take dopamine agonists to treat this. This medication class seems to imitate how natural dopamine acts. Pituitary apoplexy resulting from prolactinoma may benefit the most from this medication. This tumor could trigger too much prolactin production. Unfortunately, this medication may be risky. Some reports seem to indicate it could increase a patient's risk of pituitary apoplexy in the first place. Thus, patients may receive low doses and close monitoring.

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Gamma Knife Radiation Therapy

Gamma knife radiation therapy may also be a treatment option. This form of radiation appears to be highly-focused. It should be helpful for individuals with small tumors. Patients who have tumor parts leftover from other treatments may also receive this therapy. Reports seem to show favorable results in fifty to ninety percent of pituitary apoplexy patients who receive this treatment. Unfortunately, it may have many severe side effects. Examples may include hemorrhage, necrosis, seizures, and brain edema.

The radiation beam seems to be quite precise. Surrounding tissues may see no effect from it. This may be because of a steel halo that doctors seem to fit around the patient's head. This device appears to help with the beam's delivery. This form of radiation should help destroy the tumor without impairing a patient's vision. It should also maintain the gland's function.

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Long-Term Monitoring

This condition appears to be treatable. Prompt treatment may offer a favorable prognosis for many patients. However, they still seem to need long-term monitoring. Certain patients may need this for the rest of their lifetime. Doctors may choose to do this because pituitary tumors can recur. If they do, they may trigger this condition again. Patients may see an endocrinologist for their long-term monitoring. These doctors should have received special training in how the glandular system should function.

Some patients appear to need hormone replacement therapy as part of their long-term monitoring. This may help keep their hormones balanced well. Doctors appear to order regular blood tests to keep watch on this. Regular MRI scans may help detect possible tumor regrowth and catch it early.