Papilledema in Two Patients With Acromegaly and Intrasellar Pituitary Tumors

Two patients had bilateral papilledema complicating acromegaly. Both patients had enlarged blind spots, but otherwise visual fields were normal. Suprasellar extension of the pituitary tumors was diligently sought with the use of visual field examination, pneumoencephalography, internal carotid arteriography, and computed axial tomography, and tumor extension did not exist. Transsphenoidal and transethmoidal routes were used to perform partial hypophysectomies in these patients. The procedure was completely successful in one patient and partially successful in the other patient. After hypophysectomy, papilledema resolved in both patients. This beneficial effect may be the result of anatomical changes, the reduction in growth hormone levels, or both. These observations suggest that the pathogenesis of papilledema that occurs in association with acromegaly may be different from papilledema that occurs secondary to suprasellar expansion of pituitary tumors.

(Arch Intern Med 1981;141:1491-1495)