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Query: UMLS:C0023380 (lethargy)
 5,697 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A case of intrasellar and suprasellar meningioma with hypopituitarism is reported. A-64-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with chief complaints of reduced consciousness and inactivity. She had a history of subarachnoid hemorrhage 20 years previously, and developed right third nerve palsy. Physical examination demonstrated that, in consciousness, she was stuporous, and she had impaired visual acuity and palsy in the right third nerve. An X-ray film of the sella turcica showed enlargement and intrasellar calcification. A CT scan with contrast enhancement revealed a homogenously enhanced mass in the sella and suprasellar region. A cerebral angiogram showed elevation of the bilateral A1 portion of the anterior cerebral artery. No tumor blush was evident. Endocrinologic function tests confirmed impaired anterior lobe hormones and hypothyroidism. Preoperative diagnosis was pituitary adenoma. The tumor was subtotally removed by using the transsphenoidal approach and right frontotemporal craniotomy was carried out using microsurgery in a two staged operation. The tumor was yellowish-grey, partly firm in consistency, and it had a soft elasticity. Operative findings showed that the dura matter of the tuberculum sella, the anterior and posterior clinoid process, the medial sphenoidal ridge, and the wall of the cavernous sinus were intact, which was confirmed at autopsy, later. Microscopical examination revealed a mixed meningothelial and fibroblastic meningioma with papillary component and psammomatous bodies. The tumor was thought to originate in the diaphragma sella, and to extend in intrasellar and suprasellar directions. The patient died of basilar artery thrombosis. In clinical and radiological examination, there is no definite difference between pituitary adenoma and intrasellar meningioma.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:[A case of intrasellar and suprasellar meningioma with hypopituitarism]. 220 90

Hypopituitarism is uncommon in elderly people. We report 12 cases of hypopituitarism diagnosed after the age of 60 (range 63-89, mean 74.9) years over a 10-year period. Aetiology was evident in eight cases, viz. pituitary tumour in six and previous post-partum haemorrhage and giant aneurysm of carotid artery in one each. The presentation was often non-specific with symptoms such as lethargy, pallor, falls, urinary incontinence, confusion, fever and flexion contractures. Subtle clues to the condition were missed in four cases resulting in delayed diagnosis. Although levels of pituitary trophic hormones are generally low in this condition, the thyrotrophin (TSH) was normal in seven cases in the present series. Normal levels of serum sodium and potassium did not exclude cortisol deficiency. Hormone replacement therapy resulted in improved quality of life. Physicians dealing with elderly patients should bear this easily treated condition in mind.
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PMID:Hypopituitarism: a difficult diagnosis in elderly people but worth a search. 776 67

Sleeping sickness (SS; African trypanosomiasis) is an anthropozoonosis transmitted by the tsetse fly. Infection with Trypanosoma brucei in humans is associated with adynamia, lethargy, anorexia, and more specifically amenorrhea/infertility in women and loss of libido/impotence in men. Recent evidence suggests that experimental infection in animals with Trypanosoma brucei species causes polyglandular endocrine failure by local inflammation of the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, and gonadal glands. In a cross-sectional study we investigated the prevalence and significance of neuroendocrine abnormalities in 137 Ugandan patients with SS. In the untreated stage of the disease, there was a high prevalence of adrenal insufficiency (27%), hypothyroidism (50%) and hypogonadism (85%). Pituitary function tests suggested an unusual combined central (hypothalamic/pituitary) and peripheral defect in hormone secretion. Specific therapy resulted in a rapid recovery of adrenal/thyroid function, whereas hypogonadism persisted for years in a substantial portion of patients. We did not detect pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, and gonadal autoantibodies in patients with endocrine dysfunction, ruling out an autoimmune origin of the endocrine abnormalities. However, the presence of hypopituitarism correlated with high cytokine concentrations (TNF-alpha, IL-6) which--together with direct parasitic infiltration of the endocrine glands--are involved in the pathogenesis of SS-associated endocrine dysfunction.
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PMID:Neuroendocrine dysfunction in African trypanosomiasis. The role of cytokines. 962 7

An 11-month-old, neutered female miniature schnauzer presented with a severe head injury. The dog was treated for the acute effects of craniocerebral trauma and was hospitalized for just over a week. Several weeks later, she became weak and lethargic. A diagnosis of hypoadrenocorticism was confirmed with an adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) stimulation test. An endogenous ACTH assay confirmed secondary hypoadrenocorticism. The dog was tested for hypopituitarism with canine thyroid-stimulating hormone and thyroxine serum assays and an insulin-like growth factor assay. These tests could not confirm panhypopituitarism in this dog. The hypoadrenocorticism was treated with prednisone, and the dog remains controlled adequately three years later.
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PMID:Secondary hypoadrenocorticism associated with craniocerebral trauma in a dog. 1010 79

Pituitary apoplexy usually presents with acute neuro-ophthalmological complications that require urgent neurosurgical intervention. We present a case of pituitary apoplexy following aortocoronary bypass surgery that was asymptomatic until the patient presented with features of hormonal deficiency three months later. Only one case of pituitary apoplexy has been described in the literature following cardiac surgery that did not require operative intervention. We discuss the aetiology of pituitary apoplexy and the possible mechanisms for such an event after cardiac surgery. Although this is rare, any unusual feature after operation such as lethargy or erectile dysfunction should remind us of hypopituitarism.
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PMID:Asymptomatic pituitary apoplexy after aortocoronary bypass surgery. 1069 9

The concept of an androgen deficiency syndrome in women is a relatively old one, although it has gained substantially increased attention in recent years. Androgens are quantitatively the predominant sex steroid in women, circulating in the micro- and nanomolar concentration range, compared with picomolar levels of oestrogen. The most significant biologically active androgen is testosterone, which circulates bound tightly to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and loosely to albumin. It is generally held that the non-SHBG bound fraction is the bioavailable moiety. Hence interpretable testosterone measurements require data on total concentrations as well as the SHBG level. Testosterone deficiency occurs in a number of situations such as hypopituitarism, primary ovarian and adrenal failure, exogenous corticosteroid use and oral oestrogen therapy (due to the elevation of SHBG and suppression of gonadotrophins). Clinical symptoms of androgen deficiency include lethargy, tiredness and loss of sex drive and interest, and have responded well to androgen replacement, generally without significant side-effects.
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PMID:The role of androgen therapy. 1209 69

Addisonian crisis, also commonly referred to as adrenal crisis, occurs when the cortisol produced by the adrenal glands is insufficient to meet the body's acute needs. The symptoms are nonspecific and can mimic other processes, such as sepsis. Hypotension, lethargy, and fever can all be presenting signs. Secondary addisonian crisis can also result from pituitary apoplexy. Pituitary apoplexy usually occurs as hemorrhagic or ischemic necrosis in the presence of a pre-existing pituitary adenoma, and is a rare sequela of surgery. The symptoms of pituitary apoplexy are typically impressive and are relieved by urgent transsphenoidal decompression. Hypopituitarism resulting from pituitary apoplexy can be treated with exogenous hormones. The case presented herein illustrates occult pituitary apoplexy that occurred after on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. In this patient, the initial signs of addisonian crisis were overlooked; however, once recognized, they were reduced dramatically with standard stress-dose cortisone. A suprasellar mass with a cystic component was found on magnetic resonance imaging. The hemorrhagic pituitary gland was treated by transsphenoidal decompression, which relieved the patient's bitemporal hemianopia and 6th-nerve palsy.
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PMID:Pituitary apoplexy presenting as Addisonian crisis after coronary artery bypass grafting. 1222 22

A six-week-old male infant was admitted for investigation of cholestasis and pale stools. He became lethargic and apnoeic with prolonged seizures after a percutaneous liver biopsy. Subsequent investigations showed conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia, elevated liver enzymes, and hypoglycaemia. The radinuclide hepatobiliary scintigraphy was non-excretory. After an operative cholangiogram, the infant developed Addisonian-like crisis with bradycardia, hypotension, respiratory distress, metabolic acidosis, hypoglycaemia, hyponatraemia, and hyperkalaemia. Blood investigations confirmed congenital hypopituitarism. Hormone replacement therapy with L-thyroxine and cortisone acetate resulted in dissolution of jaundice and the reduction of the liver size.
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PMID:Addisonian-like crisis in congenital hypopituitarism and cholestatic jaundice. 1456 50

Traumatic hypopituitarism was diagnosed in an 11-month-old male neutered cat. The presenting complaints were polydipsia, polyuria and lethargy of three months' duration. Craniocerebral trauma, as a result of a road traffic accident, had preceded the onset of clinical signs by six weeks. Neurological examination revealed right-sided mydriasis, reduced visual and tactile left forelimb placing reflexes and decreased proprioception in both the left fore- and hindlimb. Initial laboratory findings included hypernatraemia, hyperchloraemia, mild azotaemia, eosinophilia and isosthenuria. Low basal cortisol, thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone and insulin growth factor-1 were noted. Subsequent to treatment with prednisolone, a water deprivation test confirmed the presence of central diabetes insipidus and therapy with synthetic antidiuretic hormone successfully ameliorated the polydipsia.
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PMID:Traumatic partial hypopituitarism in a cat. 1535 10

Although intrinsic pituitary lesions are the most common cause of hypopituitarism, suprasellar masses can produce similar symptoms. The differential diagnosis of a suprasellar mass includes cystic lesions, tumors, granulomatous disease, and infection. The etiology is not always obvious, and despite extensive work-up, may remain elusive. A 28-year-old Mexican man presented with complaints of headache and weakness for two weeks duration. He became increasingly lethargic and an MRI revealed a two centimeter suprasellar mass. Testing of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis suggested panhypopituitarism. He was prescribed treatment with hydrocortisone, DDAVP, and levothyroxine. Open craniotomy and biopsy of the hypothalamus revealed marked inflammation with plasma cells, histiocytes, and small lymphocytes. Light microscopy revealed macrophage-contained leishmania-like organisms although results were not immediately available. Pathological data was consistent with acute infection by Trypanasoma cruzi. Despite supportive efforts, the patient expired two months after presentation. This case illustrates the difficulty of diagnosing and the potential rapid mortality of a suprasellar mass. Because of the wide consideration of etiologies, a tissue diagnosis is needed. However, as this case illustrates, a definitive tissue diagnosis is not always possible, even following biopsy during open craniotomy.
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PMID:Acute chagas' disease presenting with a suprasellar mass and panhypopituitarism. 1576 61


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