Endocrine dysfunction and follow-up outcomes in patients with pituitary abscess.
OBJECTIVE
Endocrine dysfunction caused by pituitary abscess (PA) and its outcomes have not been fully studied. This study aims to investigate endocrine dysfunction and outcomes in patients with PA.


METHODS
Eight patients (3 males and 5 females) with PA were identified for collecting clinical, hormone, and therapeutic data before and after long-term follow-up lasting 12 to 116 months (median, 25 months) since the first hospitalization, which was regarded as the baseline time. All patients' pituitary and respective target gland functions were evaluated. Six patients had acute onset (less than 1 month), and the other 2 patients had chronic onset (more than 6 months). Five patients underwent surgical therapy, and the other 3 patients underwent conservative therapy. The factors associated with endocrine outcome were analyzed as well.


RESULTS
At baseline, the release of 91.7% (22 of 24 total) of pituitary tropic hormones was impaired, but 59.1% (13 of 22) had normalized by the last follow-up. Male gender, acute onset mode, and normal baseline prolactin level seemed to be the factors that favored tropic hormone normalization, whereas surgical operation was not. Two patients received provocative test suggesting decreased reserves of both somatotrophin and prolactin or only somatotrophin. Only 1 patient suffered from permanent diabetes insipidus.


CONCLUSIONS
The production of almost all pituitary tropic hormones was impaired with PA in the present study, but production of nearly 60% percent of the hormones normalized during follow-up of >1 year. A chronic abscess state may be the most important factor associated with permanent hormone deficiency.
Wen-sheng
WS
Jin
Wei-guo
WG
Xu
Zhuo-na
ZN
Yin
Hong-mei
HM
Li
Jia
J
Li
Xiao-peng
XP
Zhang
Guo-liang
GL
Wang
D000038:Abscess / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010900:Pituitary Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010907:Pituitary Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D010907:Pituitary Hormones; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone