Abstract
Background: Lymphocytic hypophysitis and Sheehan s syndrome are rare disorders predominantely affecting women in the peripartum period. Patients usually present with various degrees of hypopituitarism and/or symptoms of a pituitary mass lesion.
Material and methods: We present two case-histories of postpartum hypopituitarism. We have also performed a review of literature from Medline and Pubmed databases.
Results and interpretation: Sheehan s syndrome is a pituitary necrosis due to hypotension during an obstetric bleeding. Lymphocytic hypophysitis is a chronic inflammatory process of the anterior pituitary gland, where the pathogenesis is believed to be autoimmune. The diagnoses should be considered when women present peripartum with non-specific symptoms related to varying deficiencies of anterior pituitary hormones, and/or headache and/or visual disturbances.
The treatment of hypopituitarism mainly consists of hormone-replacement therapy with careful follow-up.