Pituitary apoplexy with third cranial nerve palsy after off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting

We present a rare case with pituitary apoplexy after three-vessel off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB). The patient exhibited right third cranial nerve palsy; ptosis of the right eye with completely dilated pupils and a loss of reflex to light after the effects of anesthesia completely subsided. The patient underwent endonasal transsphenoidal resection of the pituitary gland 14 days after the OPCAB, and the symptoms completely disappeared 40 days after the resection. OPCAB is recommended for patients with known pituitary tumor who require coronary artery bypass grafting, but OPCAB also has a risk of pituitary apoplexy. The present case report is the first to describe pituitary apoplexy after OPCAB. Pituitary apoplexy is a very rare complication after cardiac surgery, but cardiac surgeons should know the disease and quickly diagnose it to avoid severe brain injury. (C) 2011 Published by European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.