What is Infundibular hypophysitis?

Infundibulohypophysitis is an unusual inflammatory condition that affects the infundibulum, the pituitary stalk, and the neurohypophysis and may be part of a range that includes lymphocytic hypophysitis. Lymphocytic hypophysitis occurs mainly in women and most often presents in the later stages of pregnancy.

Is hypophysitis curable?

Hypophysitis can resolve spontaneously, relapse may occur, and some cases can be refractory to treatment.

How is lymphocytic hypophysitis treated?

Treatment of hypophysitis is typically with hormone replacement therapy and with high dose glucocorticoids (steroids) to reduce inflammation. Despite long-term treatment with steroids, most patients do develop some degree of permanent pituitary gland failure.

How is lymphocytic hypophysitis diagnosed?

The definitive diagnosis of lymphocytic hypophysitis cannot be made without a tissue biopsy and confirmed pathology. Without a biopsy, in the presence of a pituitary mass, typical clinical presentation and hypopituitarism, there are numerous potential differential diagnoses (Box 4).

What causes Hypophysitis?

Based on etiology, hypophysitis may be caused by primary/idiopathic inflammation confined to the pituitary gland, whereas secondary hypophysitis is a consequence of drugs, autoimmune conditions, systemic inflammatory processes such as sarcoidosis, infections such as tuberculosis, and pituitary adenomas.

What are the symptoms of a malfunctioning pituitary gland?

What are pituitary symptoms?

• Headaches.
• Vision problems.
• Unexplained weight gain.
• Loss of libido.
• Feeling dizzy and nauseous.
• Pale complexion.
• Muscle wasting.
• Coarsening of facial features.

How rare is lymphocytic Hypophysitis?

Lymphocytic hypophysitis seems to be related to an autoimmune process . It is a rare entity that may mimic pituitary adenoma and occurs mostly in women in the peripartum period. Only seven cases, including this one, have been reported in men.

How common is Hypophysitis?

Hypophysitis is a rare condition which causes inflammation of the pituitary gland, an important hormone-producing gland in the brain.

Can I exercise with a pituitary tumor?

H7: Aerobic training combined with strengthening training and yoga is effective on biochemical factors, physical performance and quality of life in people with pituitary adenoma. 30 minute aerobic exercise training with warm-up and cool down followed by 30 minute strength training for specific muscles.

What are the symptoms of hypopituitarism?

Hypopituitarism is an underactive pituitary gland that results in deficiency of one or more pituitary hormones. Symptoms of hypopituitarism depend on what hormone is deficient and may include short height, infertility, intolerance to cold, fatigue, and an inability to produce breast milk.

Is hypophysitis life threatening?

Contrary to other causes of hypopituitarism, impaired adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) secretion is very frequent in the early stages of primary hypophysitis, putting these patients at increased risk of life-threatening adrenal insufficiency.

What are the symptoms of pituitary gland problems?

Why is hypophysitis a rare autoimmune disease?

Autoimmune hypophysitis is rare, but part of the rarity is due to the fact that many physicians do not know about it and therefore do not diagnose it.

What are the symptoms of hypophysitis at Johns Hopkins?

The third category includes the symptoms indicating an involvement of the neurohypophysis (polyuria and polydipsia), which were present in 27% of the patients. Last are the symptoms due to hyperprolactinemia (mainly amenorrhea/oligomenorrhea and galactorrhea), which were present in 23% of the patients.

Why is it called adenohyphysitis instead of hypophysis?

After the original description (see below), the disease was called, more precisely, “lymphocytic adenohypophysitis” because the lymphocytic infiltration was limited to the anterior hypophysis.

What is the histological spectrum of hypophysitis?

The histological spectrum of the disease would then go from a pure lymphocytic form at one end, to the lymphocytic/granulomatous form and finally to the lymphocytic/necrotizing form at the other end. In 81% of cases, Autoimmune Hypophysitis affects women.