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Case Reports
. 2016 May-Jun;38(3):254-6.
doi: 10.4103/0253-7176.183079.

Psychosis in Secondary Empty Sella Syndrome following a Russell's Viper Bite

Badr Ratnakaran  1 , Varghese P Punnoose  2 , Soumitra Das  3 , Arjun Kartha  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Psychosis in Secondary Empty Sella Syndrome following a Russell's Viper Bite

Badr Ratnakaran et al. Indian J Psychol Med. 2016 May-Jun.

Abstract

Hypopituitarism can present with psychiatric symptoms. We report a unique case of psychosis in clear consciousness in a case of hypopituitarism due to the secondary empty sella syndrome following a Russell's viper bite which was untreated and presented with psychotic symptoms for past 13 years following the snake bite. After the diagnosis of psychosis due to hypopituitarism was made, the patient was treated with levothyroxine and prednisolone supplements and his psychotic symptoms subsided without any psychotropic drugs. Vasculotoxic snake bites can cause hypopituitarism and can present with psychosis. Further research will be needed into the prevalence of this phenomenon.

Keywords: Empty sella syndrome; Russell's viper; hypopituitarism; psychosis.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Saggital T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging head showing an empty sella turcica
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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