Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Noel G Dan.
The representation of the world provided by an artist is often modified by abnormalities in the visual pathways. Some artists have used these distortions to create a particular style. Controversy surrounds earlier artists whose visual function was not well documented historically. Drugs and psychiatric disease may also modify the artist's imagery.
Pituitary apoplexy has been recognised much more frequently since the introduction of CT and MRI scanning. Lymphocytic hypophysitis has been increasingly diagnosed in recent years. A case of pituitary apoplexy occurring in a patient with lymphocytic hypophysitis as part of a polyglandular syndrome is reported. This combination does not appear to have been previously reported. The pituitary haemorrhage was confirmed on MRI and at surgery. Lymphocytic hypophysitis was confirmed histologically. The apoplexy was accompanied by severe headache, elevation of the optic chiasm, developing field loss and onset of ptosis. The apoplexy was precipitated by neck extension.