Primary pituitary gland abscess in a 13-year-old girl. A clinical case description

Abstract

A primary abscess in the region of the Sella turcica is a rare neurosurgical pathology especially in the pediatric population. This pathology has no specific symptoms and may have an atypical presentation. It has no specific radiological features making diagnosis very difficult. In this article, we report on a 13-year-old girl with a confirmed primary pituitary abscess. Clinical and instrumental investigations as well as hormonal profile indicated a lesion of the Rathkes pouch- like a craniopharyngioma and to a lesser extent, a pituitary adenoma. In this case, laboratory and Magnetic resonance studies did not show any features of systemic or local acute inflammatory response respectively. The child underwent a surgery, during which the diagnosis was made — primary abscess of the pituitary gland.