Delayed Diagnosis of Sheehan's Syndrome Following Postpartum Hemorrhage and Emergency Hysterectomy: A Case Report

Kahina Dameche1, Sherin Shams1, Maha S AlMesallam2

  • 1Family Medicine, Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, QAT.

Cureus
|March 5, 2026
PubMed

This case report describes a 50-year-old woman diagnosed with Sheehan's syndrome, a rare form of hypopituitarism resulting from severe postpartum hemorrhage during a cesarean section in 2019, which led to cardiac arrest and emergency hysterectomy. Despite experiencing persistent fatigue, muscle pain, constipation, and mood changes for five years, her symptoms were repeatedly misattributed to anxiety, anemia, and vitamin D deficiency. A detailed review of her obstetric history, combined with endocrine testing showing central hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, and low IGF-1, led to the correct diagnosis. Initiation of glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone replacement resulted in significant clinical improvement. This case highlights the importance of considering Sheehan's syndrome in women with nonspecific chronic symptoms and a history of severe obstetric hemorrhage to enable timely diagnosis and treatment.