Romanian Neurosurgery (Sep 2016)
Complete 3rd cranial nerve dysfunction post-deflation/excision of an encasing pituitary macroadenoma intrasellular cyst
Abstract
Central nervous system injury in particular cranial nerve palsy has been reported to be as high as 2%. Such prevalence of palsy generally attributed to surgical manipulation at the cavernous sinus, especially incurring the abducens nerve. We report the first case of acute oculomotor nerve sequel to the release of cystic fluid wrapping the nerve following a transsphenoidal excision of pituitary macroadenoma in a 57-year-old woman. She attended with the presentation of acute excruciating headache associated with partial drooping of right eye. The computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were consistent with pituitary apoplexy of an underlying pituitary macroadenoma. Urgent transsphenoidal hypophysectomy was done. Intra-operatively, cystic fluid was aspirated during pituitary tumour dissection. At the same time, curettage was employed to removal residual tumour after the tumour biopsy. Immediate post-operative assessment noted complete right eye ptosis, with clinical evidence of complete right third and fourth nerve palsies. MRI was repeated a week later in view of such palsy non-resolution. However, no local compression or edema noted. Observation and monitoring were opted versus surgical revision. Propitiously the aforementioned cranial nerve palsies persist for a month and subsequently subsided. In this case, we highlight the potential deleterious impact of aspirating cystic component and curettaging during pituitary surgery. Likely postulated accounts for such occurrence include sudden release of fluid pressure with resultant cystic traction on its enfolding cranial nerves and subsequent neuropraxia. We aim to invite comments that could enlighten us on this gray area.
