Sheehan's syndrome causes
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Iqra Qamar M.D.[2]
Overview
Common causes of Sheehan’s syndrome are including massive hemorrhage, hypotension during pregnancy, vascular compression, and vascular occlusion (thrombosis or disseminated intravascular coagulation). Less common causes are including vascular insufficiency due to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in older patients and snake bites (Russell’s viper bites).
Causes
Life-threatening Causes
Common Causes
Common causes of Sheehan’s syndrome may include:
- Massive hemorrhage during or after pregnancy
- Vascular compression due to enlarged pituitary gland, small and rigid sella or any mass
- Vascular occlusion (thrombosis, DIC)
Less Common Causes
Less common causes of Sheehan’s syndrome are including:
- Vascular insufficiency due to CABG in older patients[2]
- Snake bites (Russell’s viper bites)[3]
Genetic Causes
- Sheehan’s syndrome is not associated with any genetic mutation
Causes by Organ System
| Cardiovascular | Hypotension, Vascular compression, Hemorrhage, post-CABG |
| Chemical/Poisoning | Snake bites (Russell’s viper bites) |
| Dental | No underlying causes |
| Dermatologic | No underlying causes |
| Drug Side Effect | Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) |
| Ear Nose Throat | No underlying causes |
| Endocrine | No underlying causes |
| Environmental | No underlying causes |
| Gastroenterologic | No underlying causes |
| Genetic | No underlying causes |
| Hematologic | Thrombosis, DIC |
| Iatrogenic | No underlying causes |
| Infectious Disease | No underlying causes |
| Musculoskeletal/Orthopedic | No underlying causes |
| Neurologic | No underlying causes |
| Nutritional/Metabolic | No underlying causes |
| Obstetric/Gynecologic | PPH, Traumatic birth delivery |
| Oncologic | No underlying causes |
| Ophthalmologic | No underlying causes |
| Overdose/Toxicity | No underlying causes |
| Psychiatric | No underlying causes |
| Pulmonary | No underlying causes |
| Renal/Electrolyte | No underlying causes |
| Rheumatology/Immunology/Allergy | Autoimmunity |
| Sexual | No underlying causes |
| Trauma | Traumatic delivery |
| Urologic | No underlying causes |
| Miscellaneous | No underlying causes |
Causes in alphabetical order
- Autoimmunity
- DIC
- Drugs causing hypotension or hypercoaguability:
- Postpartum hemorrhage
- Snake bites
- Small and rigid sella
- Thrombosis
- Traumatic birth delivery
References
- ↑ Matsuzaki S, Endo M, Ueda Y, Mimura K, Kakigano A, Egawa-Takata T, Kumasawa K, Yoshino K, Kimura T (2017). “A case of acute Sheehan’s syndrome and literature review: a rare but life-threatening complication of postpartum hemorrhage”. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 17 (1): 188. doi:10.1186/s12884-017-1380-y. PMC 5471854. PMID 28615049.
- ↑ Davies JS, Scanlon MF (1998). “Hypopituitarism after coronary artery bypass grafting”. BMJ. 316 (7132): 682–4. PMC 1112681. PMID 9522796.
- ↑ Antonypillai CN, Wass JA, Warrell DA, Rajaratnam HN (2011). “Hypopituitarism following envenoming by Russell’s vipers (Daboia siamensis and D. russelii) resembling Sheehan’s syndrome: first case report from Sri Lanka, a review of the literature and recommendations for endocrine management”. QJM. 104 (2): 97–108. doi:10.1093/qjmed/hcq214. PMID 21115460.
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