Pituitary apoplexy presenting as unilateral third cranial nerve palsy after coronary artery bypass surgery

The new onset of pituitary apoplexy is a rare perioperative complication of coronary artery bypass surgery. A variety of clinical presentations of pituitary apoplexy have been reported including absence of clinical symptoms or headache, sudden deterioration of mental status, visual changes, Addisonian crisis, and ophthalmoplegia, including third cranial nerve palsy and/or ptosis. Early diagnosis and treatment usually results in excellent outcome. We report a case of pituitary apoplexy that presented with only a unilateral dilated pupil, ptosis, and vision change within 3 h after coronary artery bypass surgery. The patient recovered fully after early pituitary tumor resection and hormonal therapy.