Hipopituitarismo postraumatismo encefalocraneano: revisión de la literatura y algoritmo de estudio y abordaje terapéutico

Hypopituitarism after moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is usually underdiagnosed and therefore undertreated. Its course can be divided in an acute phase during the first 14 days after TBI with 50 to 80% risk of hypopituitarism, and a chronic phase, beginning three months after the event, with a prevalence of hypopituitarism that ranges from 2 to 70%. Its pathophysiology has been addressed in several studies, suggesting that a vascular injury to the pituitary tissue is the most important mechanism during the acute phase, and an autoimmune one during chronic stages. In the acute phase, there are difficulties to correctly interpret pituitary axes. Hence, we propose a simple and cost-effective algorithm to detect and treat a potential hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis impairment and alterations of sodium homeostasis, both of which can be life-threatening. In the chronic phase, post-concussion syndrome is the most important differential diagnosis. Given the high prevalence of hypopituitarism, we suggest that all pituitary axes should be assessed in all patients with moderate to severe TBI, between 3 to 6 months after the event, and then repeated at 12 months after trauma by a specialized team in pituitary disease.

[Hypopituitarism after traumatic brain injury]. / Hipopituitarismo postraumatismo encefalocraneano: revisión de la literatura y algoritmo de estudio y abordaje terapéutico.

Hypopituitarism after moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is usually underdiagnosed and therefore undertreated. Its course can be divided in an acute phase during the first 14 days after TBI with 50 to 80% risk of hypopituitarism, and a chronic phase, beginning three months after the event, with a prevalence of hypopituitarism that ranges from 2 to 70%. Its pathophysiology has been addressed in several studies, suggesting that a vascular injury to the pituitary tissue is the most important mechanism during the acute phase, and an autoimmune one during chronic stages. In the acute phase, there are difficulties to correctly interpret pituitary axes. Hence, we propose a simple and cost-effective algorithm to detect and treat a potential hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis impairment and alterations of sodium homeostasis, both of which can be life-threatening. In the chronic phase, post-concussion syndrome is the most important differential diagnosis. Given the high prevalence of hypopituitarism, we suggest that all pituitary axes should be assessed in all patients with moderate to severe TBI, between 3 to 6 months after the event, and then repeated at 12 months after trauma by a specialized team in pituitary disease.

Adenohipopituitarismo de rápida instalación, sin correlato imagenológico / Acute onset adenohypopituitarism without an image diagnosis

We report two cases of acute onset of adenohypopituitarism without a sellar MRI finding. The first case is a postmenopause woman complaining of fatigue, weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and mild weight loss. She was extensively studied with upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, colonoscopy and abdominal CT. An incidental possible pituitary enlargement on a Brain CT opened a pituitary function study, revealing adenohypopituitarism. The sellar MRI was perfectly normal, without anatomical explanation. The second case is a postmenopause woman complaining of fatigue and weakness, who had an episode of syncope and concomitant hyponatremia. Her study revealed adenohypopituitarism and a primary empty sella image in the MRI. The clinical problem of adenohypopituitarism without an image diagnosis brings the ethical dilemma to make a “blind” transsphenoidal biopsy or just treat them without a certain diagnosis. Patients with Empty Sella in the MRI show frequently normal pituitary function and it is not considered as a cause of so extensive hypopituitarism. Sometimes the clinical and image evolution can suggest the etiology and require of histological sample, so it is rational to keep an active surveillance and repeat the functional tests and Sellar MRI within the follow up...