title: Use of alendronate in treatment of secondary osteoporosis from hypopituitarism: a case report.
abstract: The authors report a case of hypogonadotropic and hypothyrotropic partial hypopituitarism, being treated for over sixteen years with a substitution therapy consisting of estroprogestogenal hormones and L-thyroxine, presenting severe secondary osteoporosis, detected by densitometric examination (DEXA) of the medial and ultradistal sites of the non dominant radius. The patient was treated with alendronate (10 mg/die) for two years, in addition to the estroprogestogen therapy, resulting in a significant recovery of bone mass, equal to 16% compared to initial values, reaching near normal bone density values. On analysing the mechanisms of action of the bisphosphonates, the estrogens and the L-thyroxines, the authors suggest a synergic mechanism between the estrogen and the alendronate, which act on the bone turn-over at different times. Also, the alendronate would seem to antagonise the osteopenia of L-thyroxine, though this mechanism is still unknown.
authors.affiliation: Department of Senescent, Urological and Neurological Sciences, University of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maugeri
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Bonanno
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Speciale
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santangelo
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Curasì
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Panebianco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019386:Alendronate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000150:complications*; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D019386:Alendronate