03-17-2009, 09:03 PM
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 Sheehan's syndrome
Sheehan's syndrome Quote: Also known as: - Glinski-Simmonds syndrome
- Reye-Sheehan syndrome
- Simmonds-Sheehan syndrome
- Simmonds cachexia
- Simmonds syndrome
- Reye's syndrome
| Associated persons: - Leon Konrad Glinski
- Harold Leeming Sheehan
Quote: Description:
Quote: Hypopituitarism resulting from an infarct of the pituitary following postpartum shock or haemorrhage. Damage to the anterior pituitary gland causes partial or complete loss of thyroid, adrenocortical, and gonadal function.
The complete concept of the syndrome was well reviewed by Sheehan in 1937. He emphasised that during pregnancy the pituitary becomes enlarged, but its blood supply becomes diminished during childbirth and it is particularly susceptible to thrombosis. Reports indicate that the syndrome occurs more frequently than is usually recognised.
The eponyms and synonyms mentioned above cover both the Sheehan and the Simmonds syndrome, which are two entities. The terms Glinski syndrome, Reye syndrome and Sheehan syndrome applies to necrosis of the pituitary during the postpartum period; Simmonds syndrome refers to a similar condition which may occur in both sexes and is unrelated to postpartum complications. | | Quote: Sheehan's syndrome is a condition affecting women who experience life-threatening blood loss during or after childbirth. Severe blood loss deprives your body of oxygen and can seriously damage vital tissues and organs. In Sheehan's syndrome, the damage occurs to the pituitary gland — a small gland at the base of your brain. The result is the permanent underproduction of essential pituitary hormones (hypopituitarism).
Also called postpartum hypopituitarism, Sheehan's syndrome is rare in industrialized nations. But it's still a major threat to women in developing countries.
For some women, Sheehan's syndrome seems to cause few, if any, symptoms. For others, Sheehan's syndrome can lead to an adrenal crisis — a life-threatening shortage of the hormone cortisol. Treatment of Sheehan's syndrome involves hormone replacement therapy. | Symptoms
In most cases, the signs and symptoms of Sheehan's syndrome appear slowly, after a period of months or even years. But sometimes — such as in a breast-feeding mother — problems may appear right away. Quote: Quote: Signs and symptoms of Sheehan's syndrome include:
Quote:
• Slowed mental function, weight gain and difficulty staying warm, as a result of an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
• Difficulty breast-feeding or an inability to breast-feed
• No menstrual periods (amenorrhea) or infrequent menstruation (oligomenorrhea)
• Loss of pubic or underarm hair
• Low blood pressure
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
| | For many women, the symptoms of Sheehan's syndrome are nonspecific and often attributed to other things. Fatigue, for instance, goes hand in hand with being a new mother. You might not realize that you have Sheehan's syndrome until you need treatment for thyroid or adrenal insufficiency.
It's also possible to remain symptom-free with Sheehan's syndrome. Some women unknowingly live for years with pituitary insufficiency, then go into adrenal crisis triggered by extreme physical stressors, such as severe infection or surgery.
| Causes Quote: | Pituitary gland
Sheehan's syndrome affects the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain. Your pituitary gland is responsible for making a variety of hormones that help regulate growth, reproduction and metabolism. | Quote: Although many problems can lead to low pituitary function, Sheehan's syndrome is caused by severe blood loss during or after childbirth. Blood loss at that time can be particularly damaging to the pituitary gland, destroying hormone-producing tissue so that the gland can't function normally.
Experts aren't sure exactly why this is the case. One theory is that since the pituitary gland enlarges during pregnancy, it's more prone to damage. The severe drop in blood pressure (hypotension) that occurs during hemorrhage also could damage the pituitary.
Pituitary hormones regulate the rest of your endocrine system, signaling other glands to increase or decrease production of the hormones that control metabolism, fertility, wound healing and many other vital processes. A lack of any of all of these hormones can cause problems throughout your body — although signs and symptoms may develop so gradually that they escape notice. | Quote: Hormones that your pituitary secretes include:
Quote: |
• Growth hormone (GH). This hormone controls bone and tissue growth and maintains the appropriate balance of muscle and fat tissue.
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• Anti-diuretic hormone (ADH). By regulating urine production, this hormone manages water balance in your body. A deficiency of ADH results in a condition called diabetes insipidus.
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• Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). This hormone stimulates your thyroid gland to produce key hormones that regulate your metabolism. Shortage of TSH results in an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism).
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• Luteinizing hormone (LH). In men, LH regulates testosterone production. In women, it fosters production of estrogen.
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• Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Working in tandem with LH, FSH helps stimulate sperm production in men, and egg development and ovulation in women.
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• Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). This hormone stimulates your adrenal glands to produce cortisol and other hormones. Cortisol helps your body deal with stress and influences many body functions, including blood pressure, heart function and your immune system. A low level of adrenal hormones is known as Addison's disease.
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• Prolactin. This hormone regulates the development of female breasts, as well as the production of breast milk.
| | Quote: Endocrine glands 
Endocrine glands release hormones (chemical messengers) into the bloodstream to be transported to various organs and tissues throughout the body. For instance, the pancreas secretes insulin, which allows the body to regulate levels of sugar in the blood. The thyroid gets instructions from the pituitary to secrete hormones which determine the pace of chemical activity in the body (the more hormone in the bloodstream, the faster the chemical activity; the less hormone, the slower the activity). |
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