title: Lymphocytic panhypophysitis: its clinical features in Japanese cases.
abstract: Lymphocytic hypophysitis is divided into three forms according to the involved tissues, lymphocytic adenohypophysitis, lymphocytic infundibulo-neurohypophysitis, and lymphocytic panhypophysitis (LPH). The term LPH was first proposed by us in 1995, although its entity and pathogenesis still remain controversial. Here we report five cases of LPH, who visited our clinics during 1994 to 2009. All cases were female of 20 to 77 years of age, and one case was associated with pregnancy. They presented with polyuria (n = 4), headache (n = 3), general malaise, polydipsia (n = 2), blunted vision, diplopia, amenorrhea or appetite loss (n = 1). Magnetic resonance imaging showed the pituitary swelling, the thickened stalk, the loss of the T1 hyperintense neurohypophysis (n = 4), or the atrophic pituitary (n = 1). Endocrinological examinations revealed deficiencies of TSH, ADH in all cases, GH, ACTH in three cases, LH, PRL in two cases, and FSH in one case, respectively. The severity of ADH deficiency varied among the cases. Anti-pituitary antibody was not detected in the cases examined. The biopsy of the pituitary lesions was performed except for one case, all of which revealed the diffuse lymphocytic infiltration. These results suggest that LPH is characterized by the female predominance, the atypical patterns of anterior pituitary hormone deficiencies and the variable degrees of diabetes insipidus in Japanese.
authors.affiliation: Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, The Tazuke Kofukai Foundation Medical Institute Kitano Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hamamoto
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Honjo
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yuba
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shimatsu
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koshiyama
keywords: diabetes insipidus; hypopituitarism; lymphocytic panhypophysitis