Progressive visual loss because of a suprasellar pneumatocele after trans-sphenoidal resection of a pituitary adenoma

Abstract

A 63-year-old man who underwent uneventful trans-sphenoidal resection of a pituitary adenoma with fat packing complained postoperatively of progressive binocular visual acuity loss. Neuroimaging showed a suprasellar pneumatocele compressing the optic chiasm and a communication between the sphenoid sinus and the sella. After a second trans-sphenoidal procedure to remove the air and fully pack the sphenoid sinus, visual acuity recovered dramatically. A rare complication of trans-sphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenoma, suprasellar pneumatocele probably forms through a ball-valve mechanism that results from incomplete packing of the sellar floor. This case highlights the need for effective sphenoid sinus packing and for ophthalmic monitoring after trans-sphenoidal surgery.