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Pituitary apoplexy
Pituitary infarction usually has a short period of symptoms (acute), but it can be life-threatening.
Symptoms usually include:
Less commonly, pituitary dysfunction may appear more slowly. In Sheehan syndrome, for example, the first symptom may be a failure to produce milk caused by a lack of the hormone prolactin.
Over time, problems with other pituitary hormones may develop, causing symptoms of the following conditions:
When the posterior pituitary is involved (rare), symptoms may include:
Signs of acute pituitary infarction may include:
Signs of chronic pituitary insufficiency include:
Tests may include:
Blood tests will be done to check levels of:
Melmed S, Kleinberg D. Anterior pituitary. In: Kronenberg HM, Melmed S, Polonsky KS, Larsen PR. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2008:chap 8.
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