title: Unusual presentation of hypophysitis preceding an empty sella in a 75-year-old woman.
abstract: A 75-year-old woman complained about progressing fatigue. She appeared somnolent, but fully oriented and in no acute distress. Her face was pale and puffy. She did not show any signs of focal neurological disease, and the remainder of the physical examination was unrevealing. Routine laboratory tests were unremarkable except for hyponatremia and mildly decreased levels of free T3 and free T4, with TSH in the normal range. Pituitary function tests demonstrated secondary adrenal insufficiency and hypothyroidism. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unmasked hypophysitis with the characteristic findings of homogeneous gadolinium uptake of the pituitary and a prominent pituitary stalk ('dural tail sign', arrows in Fig. 1 A and B, sagittal and coronal views). Substitution of hydrocortisone and levothyroxine resulted in rapid and sustained improvement of all symptoms and normalisation of laboratory findings. MRI abnormalities normalized within the following six months. At follow-up three years later, MRI signs had further regressed and demonstrated an empty sella (Fig. 2 A and B).
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Horst L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Fehm
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004652:Empty Sella Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy; D005221:Fatigue / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000473:pathology*; D011859:Radiography; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D013974:Thyroxine; D006854:Hydrocortisone