title: [Late evaluation of the pituitary-gonadal axis in survivors of severe traumatic brain injury].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to evaluate pituitary function impairment in order to verify the prevalence of sex hormone deficiency and to analyze the profile of TBI population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients were studied, 22 were male and 8 were female. All patients had their gonadal function assessed and they were evaluated at a median of 4 years post-trauma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age of the men was 38 years at the time of the evaluation, while the mean age of women was 42 years. The majority of TBI was related to traffic accidents (63.3%). Three patients (10%) had low FSH and only 1 patient (3.3%) had low LH. There was no biochemical evidence of hypogonadism in women. Two male patients presented low testosterone (9.1%) and were diagnosed with hypogonadism. Prolactin levels were normal in all patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Two cases of hypogonadism (9.1%) were diagnosed among men in this study. It is therefore necessary that medical professionals involved in the management of TBI patients are aware of hypogonadism as a complication of TBI, in order to diagnose it early.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitário, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brasil. alexandrehohl@endocrino.org.br
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hohl
authors.forename: Jordana Bernardi
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Daltrozo
authors.forename: Camila Girardi
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Thaís Rossoni
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Heyde Francine
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Jackson da Silva
authors.initials: Jda S
authors.lastname: Gullo
authors.forename: Juçara Deitos
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Bernardini
authors.forename: Marisa Helena César
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Coral
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Walz
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary / Q000097:blood*; D006066:Gonads / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000503:physiopathology; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017741:Survivors; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006065:Gonadotropins, Pituitary; D013739:Testosterone