Nasal thinning of the ganglion cell complex on optical coherence tomography as an indicator of pituitary tumor: A case series

Castillo-Cabrera C.E.; Vásquez-Castillo V.A.; Vásquez-Castillo H.F.; Cahuapaza-Gutierrez N.L. · Archivos de la Sociedad Espanola de Oftalmologia (2026) · DOI: 10.1016/j.oftal.2026.502596

Resumen

Pituitary tumors can produce characteristic structural patterns on optical coherence tomography, notably nasal thinning of the ganglion cell complex, an atypical finding for glaucoma that may suggest a sellar etiology. We present two clinical cases. The first case involves a 66-year-old man with decreased visual acuity in both eyes, whose optical coherence tomography revealed nasal ganglion cell complex thinning in the right eye with preservation of the vertical meridian. This finding prompted brain magnetic resonance imaging, which demonstrated a pituitary lesion with suprasellar extension. The second case involves a 60-year-old woman with decreased visual acuity in both eyes, whose optical coherence tomography showed a similar pattern of nasal ganglion cell complex thinning. Brain computed tomography likewise confirmed a pituitary mass with suprasellar extension. These cases suggest that nasal ganglion cell complex thinning with preservation of the vertical meridian is a structural finding suggestive of sellar tumor pathology with chiasmal involvement, enabling timely neuro-ophthalmologic referral and prevention of irreversible visual damage.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas; Universidad Científica del Sur