title: Simmonds' disease following chronic sclerosing hypophysitis.
abstract: A case of Simmonds' disease following chronic sclerosing hypophysitis is described in a moderately confused, 54-years-old woman in an extremely advanced cachexia. The patient died four days later in cardio-respiratory failure. The anterior lobe of the hypophysis showed dense, interlacing bands of fibrosis delineating small areas of atrophic pituitary cells. More than four-fifths of the anterior hypophyseal lobe was replaced by fibrosis or dense scarring. A scarce lymphocytic infiltrate between the fibrous bands was noted. The liver showed advanced fatty changes. An interesting finding was the presence of a chronic lymphocytic infiltrate in the adrenals. The association of chronic adrenalitis and sclerosing hypophysitis could be interpreted as an autoimmune endocrinopathy.
mesh_terms: D001327:Autoimmune Diseases; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010900:Pituitary Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D012598:Sclerosis