title: Hypopituitarism in Neurocritical Patients: A Case Report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Besides changes in pituitary hormones secretion observed during the acute phase of stroke as an adaptive response to injury or an effect of drugs, a true hypopituitarism due to ischemic and/or hemorrhagic damage at the hypothalamus and/or pituitary gland can develop after a stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a case of a 72-year-old woman showing clinical signs and laboratory data suggesting a secondary adrenal insufficiency following a recent acute brain ischemia. Cortisone therapy significantly improved this pituitary dysfunction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians must pay attention to the hypothalamic-pituitary axis in neurocritical patients because hormonal replacement therapy may be life-saving.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Eboli Hospital, Salerno, Italy. micheleiovino06@tin.it.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iovino
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iovine
authors.forename: Fiorentino
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mondillo
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guastamacchia
authors.forename: Brunclla
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Licchelli
authors.forename: Vito A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Giagulli
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Triggiani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*