Korean J Anesthesiol.  2012 Jun;62(6):579-583. 10.4097/kjae.2012.62.6.579.

Anesthetic management of a parturient for combined cesarean section and surgical removal of pituitary tumor: A case report

• Chung JH
• Rho JH
• Jung TH
• Cha SC
• Jung HK
• Lee C
• Woo SC

• KMID: 1828037
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2012.62.6.579

Abstract

A 40-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of bitemporal hemianopsia at 23 weeks of gestation. A brain magnetic resonance imaging showed a pituitary tumor having suprasellar extension. At 30 weeks of gestation, she complained of rapidly deteriorating vision and bitemporal hemianopsia in both eyes and the ensuing radiological examination revealed increased tumor size, displaced tumor location and compressed optic chiasm. The cesarean section was performed at 31 weeks and 3 days of gestation and simultaneous surgical removal of pituitary tumor was carried out due to the risk of irreversible blindness. Anesthetic management for combined cesarean section and brain surgery can be more complex and challenging for anesthesiologists, and the aim was to achieve both the control of intracranial pressure and fetal well being at the same time. In this case, maternal outcome was somewhat improved after the procedure, and neonatal complications were not detected.

Keyword

Cesarean section; Pituitary tumor; Pregnancy

MeSH Terms

Adult
Blindness
Brain
Cesarean Section
Eye
Female
Hemianopsia
Humans
Intracranial Pressure
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Optic Chiasm
Pituitary Neoplasms
Pregnancy
Vision, Ocular