Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2008) 16 P437

ECE2008 Poster Presentations Neuroendocrinology (107 abstracts)

Pituitary dysfunction in patients after stroke

Sandra Boehncke 1,2 , Kathrin Fischer 1,2 , Klaus Badenhoop 1,2 & Matthias Sitzer 1,2


1Department of Internal Medicine 1, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital, Frankfurt/M., Germany; 2Department of Neurology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University Hospital, Frankfurt/M., Germany.


Hypopituitarism is a known complication of traumatic brain injury and subarachnoidal bleeding. There are few data about pituitary dysfunction as a complication of cerebral ischemia. This study aimed to investigate this issue. We investigated the prevalence of pituitary dysfunction in patients with cerebral ischemia (a. cerebri media: n=19, thalamus: n=4 multiinfarction syndrome: n=17) NIHSS varied between 1–8. 40 patients, 23 males and 17 females, (mean age f: 60 years; m: 62.5 years; range 26–81 years) with a stroke 12–34 weeks prior to the study (median 20.5 weeks) underwent clinical examination, basal and combined releasing hormone testing (CRH, GHRH, LHRH) of the pituitary gland, including TSH, free T4/T3, testosterone (males), estradiol (females), LH, FSH, cortisol, ACTH, GH, IGF 1, IGF-BP3 and depression testing. Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) was defined as a GH response <6 ng/ml to GHRH. Secondary adrenal insufficiency was defined as cortisol response <18.1 μg/dl to CRH. Pituitary deficiency was found in 67.5% (27/40) of the patients, 24 with one dysfunctional axis and 3 with 2–3 dysfunctional axes. 26/37 (70.3%) had GHD (13<65 years, 13>65 years). 2/40 (1 male, 1 female) had secondary hypogonadism (total testosterone <241 ng/dl and estradiol <30 pg/ml and low gonadotropins). 5/40 patients had corticotrope insufficiency (2 complete, 3 stress insufficiency) and none had TSH-deficiency. HADS testing was highly positive (>10) for depression in 24/40 (60%) and positive (8–10) in 5/40 (12.5%) patients. In summary we found pituitary dysfunction in 67.5% of patients with predominantly GHD (in 13 patients maybe due to age). These findings strongly suggest that patients who suffer from stroke should routinely undergo pituitary testing.

Article tools

My recent searches

No recent searches.

My recently viewed abstracts