# A Case Report of Growth Hormone–Secreting Pituitary Adenoma Complicated by Apoplexy With Atypical Clinical Presentation

**Authors:** Bassem Al Hariri, Muhammad Faizan, Reynaldo Balintona, Mohammed Omer Elbadawi Elhassan, Suhib Salameh, Imran Hussain Mohammad, Abdulwahab Muhammad Qasem

PMC · DOI: 10.1155/carm/4124145 · Case Reports in Medicine · 2026-01-30

## TL;DR

A 29-year-old man with atypical symptoms of pituitary apoplexy was initially misdiagnosed but later found to have a hormone-secreting tumor.

## Contribution

This case report highlights the atypical clinical presentation of pituitary apoplexy and its complications.

## Key findings

- The patient presented with acute neurological symptoms initially diagnosed as meningitis and SIADH.
- MRI and hormonal testing confirmed pituitary apoplexy with a growth hormone-secreting macroadenoma.
- The patient was successfully treated with transnasal transsphenoidal surgery.

## Abstract

Pituitary macroadenomas are prevalent benign tumors that can present with insidious symptoms, leading to delayed diagnoses. We report the case of a 29‐year‐old South Asian male who presented with acute neurological symptoms including severe headache, confusion, and vomiting, initially diagnosed as meningitis with syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH). Despite initial improvement, the patient developed central diabetes insipidus (CDI) and was found to have physical features consistent with acromegaly. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a large sellar/suprasellar lesion, and hormonal profile confirmed elevated insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) with low levels of prolactin, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone, consistent with pituitary apoplexy. The patient underwent successful transnasal transsphenoidal resection of a hemorrhagic macroadenoma. This case highlights the importance of considering pituitary apoplexy in the differential diagnosis of acute neurological symptoms and its potential for atypical complications such as SIADH followed by CDI. Timely diagnosis and appropriate management are crucial to mitigate risks and improve outcomes.

## Linked entities

- **Diseases:** meningitis (MONDO:0021108), syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (MONDO:0006802), central diabetes insipidus (MONDO:0015790), acromegaly (MONDO:0019933), pituitary apoplexy (MONDO:0006908)

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** IGF1 (insulin like growth factor 1) [NCBI Gene 3479] {aka IGF, IGF-I, IGFI, MGF}, GH1 (growth hormone 1) [NCBI Gene 2688] {aka GH, GH-N, GHB5, GHN, IGHD1A, IGHD1B}, PRL (prolactin) [NCBI Gene 5617] {aka GHA1, pPRL}
- **Diseases:** headache (MESH:D006261), SIADH (MESH:D007177), Pituitary macroadenomas (MESH:D010900), pituitary apoplexy (MESH:D010899), meningitis (MESH:D008580), CDI (MESH:D020790), lesion (MESH:D009059), vomiting (MESH:D014839), Pituitary Adenoma (MESH:D010911), acromegaly (MESH:D000172), confusion (MESH:D003221), hemorrhagic macroadenoma (MESH:D006470), benign tumors (MESH:D009369)
- **Chemicals:** testosterone (MESH:D013739)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Full text

_Full body text omitted from this summary view._ Fetch the complete paper as Markdown: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12856689/full.md

## Figures

3 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12856689/full.md

## References

27 references — full list in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12856689/full.md

---
Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12856689