Clinical Profile of Patients with Hypopituitarism in a Tertiary Care Centre in Central India

Hypopituitarism is a serious endocrine illness with life-threatening implications. There is a lack of reliable Indian epidemiological data, with very few studies on hypopituitarism across the country. Our research aimed to study the clinical profile of hypopituitarism in a tertiary care centre in Central India.

This was an ambispective study conducted at a tertiary care centre in Central India in General Medicine and Endocrinology OPDs and wards, including patients ≥18 years of age diagnosed with hypopituitarism between 01/07/19 and 30/06/23. The clinical, laboratory, and imaging data at the time of diagnosis was considered, and hormone deficiencies were defined as per the standard recommendations.

The study included 54 patients diagnosed with hypopituitarism with a mean age of 37.6 ± 15.37 years at diagnosis (range: 18-75 years). It included 52% (n = 28) males and 48% (n = 26) females. Headache (50%, n = 27) was the most common initial presentation, followed by visual disturbance (40.7%, n = 22). Pituitary adenoma (42.6%, n = 23) constituted the most common aetiology of hypopituitarism in our study, followed by extrapituitary tumours (33.3%, n = 18). Sheehan's syndrome (14.8%, n = 8) was the third most common aetiology. Adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiency (90.5%, n = 48) was the most common abnormality noted, followed by thyroid-stimulating hormone (87%, n = 47) and growth hormone (GH) deficiency (70.6%, n = 12 [assessed in 17 patients]). Panhypopituitarism was seen in 59.2% (n = 32) of patients.

Hypopituitarism has diverse aetiologies and presentations. Pituitary and other sellar/suprasellar tumours constituted the most common cause of hypopituitarism in our study, while headache was the most common presentation.