Spontaneous pituitary apoplexy with transient panhypopituitarism and diabetes insipidus.

A 40-year-old patient presented with intractable headache, panhypopituitarism and diabetes insipidus 5 months after a severe shock syndrome. The magnetic resonance imaging of the brain confirmed a hemorragic necrosis of the pituitary gland. On follow-up, the patient recovered a normal pituitary function, except for the persistence of a partial ACTH deficiency. The pituitary image also normalized. Pituitary apoplexy is a rare disease of severe prognosis due to its neurological and endocrine consequences. It can now be more easily recognized by the new imaging techniques.