Pituitary apoplexy is most commonly caused by bleeding into the pituitary gland from a benign tumor of the pituitary. When this bleeding occurs in a woman during or immediately after childbirth, it is called Sheehan syndrome. Other conditions causing pituitary apoplexy are coagulopathy, major surgery, hypertension, drugs such as dopamine receptor agonists, GnRH agonists, antiplatelets, and thrombolytic therapy.

The most common cause of pituitary apoplexy is pituitary adenoma (a benign tumor of pituitary gland). Other common causes include:^[1][2][3][4]

• Coagulopathy
• Surgery predisposing to hypotension
• Systemic hypertension
• Drugs causing pituitary apoplexy:
  • Antiplatelet therapy
  • Thrombolytic therapy
  • Dopamine receptor agonists
  • GnRH agonists
  • Estrogen replacement therapy
• Pregnancy and post-partum
• Hormonal stimulation of pituitary with TRH, GnRH and CRH

• Head injury
• Radiation therapy
• Pituitary surgery