Electrolyte Imbalance in Patients with Sheehan's Syndrome.
BACKGROUND
We investigated the prevalence of electrolyte imbalance and the relationship between serum electrolyte and anterior pituitary hormone levels in patients with Sheehan's syndrome.


METHODS
In a retrospective study, we investigated 78 patients with Sheehan's syndrome. We also included 95 normal control subjects who underwent a combined anterior pituitary hormone stimulation test and showed normal hormonal responses.


RESULTS
In patients with Sheehan's syndrome, the serum levels of sodium, potassium, ionized calcium, magnesium, and inorganic phosphate were significantly lower than those in control subjects. The prevalence of hyponatremia, hypokalemia, hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, and hypophosphatemia in patients with Sheehan's syndrome was 59.0% (n=46), 26.9% (n=21), 35.9% (n=28), 47.4% (n=37), and 23.1% (n=18), respectively. Levels of sodium and ionized calcium in serum were positively correlated with levels of all anterior pituitary hormones (all P<0.05). Levels of potassium in serum were positively correlated with adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and growth hormone (GH) levels (all P<0.05). Levels of inorganic phosphate in serum were positively correlated with levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone, prolactin, and GH (all P<0.05), and levels of magnesium in serum were positively correlated with delta ACTH (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Electrolyte imbalance was common in patients with Sheehan's syndrome. Furthermore, the degree of anterior pituitary hormone deficiency relates to the degree of electrolyte disturbance in patients with this disease.
Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
Chur Hoan
CH
Lim
Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
Ji Hyun
JH
Han
Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
Joon
J
Jin
Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
Ji Eun
JE
Yu
Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea. imagine-jjo@hanmail.net.
Jin Ook
JO
Chung
Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
Dong Hyeok
DH
Cho
Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
Dong Jin
DJ
Chung
Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
Min Young
MY
Chung
Electrolytes; Hormones; Hypopituitarism