Transient Diabetes Insipidus and Hypopituitarism after Pituitary Apoplexy: A Rare Association with Pericardial Effusion and Painless Thyroiditis

Punnose, John MD, DM
Agarwal, M. M. MD
Premchandran, J. S. MD

From the Departments of Medicine (jp) and Radiology (jsp), Al Ain Hospital, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates; and the Department of Pathology (mma), Faculty of Medicine, UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

Submitted May 21, 1999; accepted in revised form August 27, 1999.

Correspondence: Dr. John Punnose, P.O. Box 18841, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates (E-mail: [email protected]).

American Journal of the Medical Sciences 319(4):p 261-264, April 2000.

Pituitary apoplexy in a 38-year-old male patient with acromegaly who presented with pericardial effusion, anterior pituitary dysfunction, and diabetes insipidus is described. With corticosteroid therapy, there was good initial recovery of pituitary function and regression of pericardial effusion. On withdrawal of corticosteroids, he developed painless thyroiditis, with transient thyrotoxicosis. Subsequently, the pituitary function tests remained normal for a year, but later he gradually developed hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, hypocortisolism, growth hormone deficiency, and progressive pituitary atrophy, resulting in empty sella syndrome.