Pituitary adenoma presenting as acute onset isolated complete third cranial nerve palsy without vision changes.

We report a case of isolated unilateral complete pupil involving third cranial nerve palsy due to pituitary adenoma with parasellar extension into the right cavernous sinus. The patient was referred to us from neurosurgery with sudden onset binocular vertical diplopia with complete ptosis, and mild right-sided headache of 5-day duration. Ocular examination revealed pupil involving third cranial nerve palsy in right eye while rest of the examination including automated perimetry was normal. MRI brain with contrast revealed a mass lesion with heterogenous enhancement in the sella suggestive of a pituitary macroadenoma with possible internal haemorrhage (apoplexy). In addition, the MRI showed lateral spread to the right cavernous sinus which was causing compression of the right third cranial nerve. The patient was systemically stable. This report highlights a unique case as the lesion showed a lateral spread of pituitary adenoma without compression of the optic chiasm or other cranial nerves.

Spontaneous Recovery of Complete Foot Drop in Case of Lumbar Disk Herniation: Catcher in the Rye?

BACKGROUND: Foot drop is defined as inability to dorsiflex the foot at the ankle joint. Although a well-documented entity with a myriad of causes along the neuraxis, starting from parasagittal intracranial pathologies to peripheral nerve lesions, treatment has always remained uniform (i.e., elimination of the causative pathology. A conservative approach with complete recovery has never been documented with video evidence). CASE DESCRIPTION: A 74-year-old female presented with dorsiflexion weakness of the left ankle secondary to a prolapsed disk at the L4-5 level. The duration of the foot drop was short (3 days). She was planned for surgery but kept under close observation considering the consistent recovery of the symptoms. To our astonishment she had rapid pain relief in the next 5 days. Motor power improved over 3 weeks, and she had complete recovery in 4 weeks. Video recordings were made to document the improved power at both stages. CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous recovery of complete foot drop is possible, and there is a role for the conservative management even with dense neurologic deficit in cases of lumbar disk herniation. Careful repeated examination is the key for conservative management before jumping to aggressive surgical intervention.