Spontaneous pregnancy in a patient with lymphocytic hypophysitis / 北京大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

Lymphocytic hypophysitis(LH) is a rare but increasingly recognized autoimmune endocrine condition that causes partial or total hypopituitarism and is often associated with peripartum young women.We here report a 28-year-old patient who had a spontaneous and uneventful pregnancy following LH that had been treated with transspenoidal surgery and followed by anti-inflammatory agent.The woman failed to lactate and developed frontal headaches 3 months after normal delivery of her first child 3 years ago.Lab test showed the reduced concentrations of thyroxine,estradial and cortisol,suggesting hypopituitarism.Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain with contrast was performed and showed a uniformly enhancing pituitary mass with elevated optic chiasm.She underwent transsphenoidal surgery and histological examination of the resected specimen was consistent with lymphocytic hypophysitis.Anti-inflamation was started with prednisolone 40 mg per day because of a recurrence of headache that had completely recovered after surgery and regularly withdrawn to a long term maintenance dose of 10 mg per day.Physiological thyroxine replacement therapy was maintained.Her menstruation was restored without sex hormone replacement after 3 months.Three years after surgery,she got pregnant spontaneously and had normal breastfeeding after delivery.LH did not recur during this peripartum.