
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions ā written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Sheehan's syndrome history and symptoms
Introduction
Overview
Overview
The most common symptoms of Sheehan’s sydrome are including lactation failure and failure to resume menstruation after parturition. Common symptoms include hot flushes, decreased pubic/axillary hair, hypotension, hypoglycemia, features of hypothyroidism, hypoadrenalism, and hypogonadism.
History and Symptoms
History and Symptoms
Clinical presentation in Sheehan’s syndrome depends upon following factors:
(a) The onset
- Acute: Sudden onset of symptoms as seen in pituitary apoplexy.
- Chronic: Slow onset, may take years to manifest.
(b) The severity of hormonal deficiency
- Complete hormonal deficiency: May present even in normal circumstances.
- Partial hormonal deficiency: May present only in times of stress.
(c) The number of deficient hormones
- One hormone or some hormones are deficient (pituitary insufficiency/hypopituitarism)
- All of the pituitary hormones (panhypopituitarism).
Patients of hypopituitarism may be asymptomatic or show symptoms which can be nonspecific or specific for the deficient hormone, such as an adrenal crisis or profound hypothyroidism. Patients can also present with symptoms suggestive of a mass lesion. Metastasis usually involves posterior pituitary initially thus presenting as diabetes insipidus. Patients with sellar mass may present with a headache, diplopia, or visual loss.
History
Patients with Sheehan’s syndrome may have a positive history of:
- Severe or massive postpartum hemorrhage (PPH)
- Pituitary mass
- Coagulopathy, such as disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
Common Symptoms
Common symptoms of Sheehan’s syndrome are including:
- Agalactorrhea due to mammary gland atrophy_SYMPTOMA.com-1|[1]
- Amenorrhea/oligomenorrhea
- Secondary infertility
- Hot flushes
- Decreased/absent pubic or axillary hair[2]
- Hypotension[3]
- Non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, anorexia, malaise, joint aches, and dizziness
- Decreased libido
- Features of hypothyroidism, such as:_SYMPTOMA.com-1|[1]
- Dry skin
- Cold intolerance
- Constipation
- Bradycardia
- Hair loss
- Vaginal atrophy
- Cognitive changes including psychosis[4]
- Osteopenia and osteoporosis[5]
- Hypoglycemia and decreased insulin requirement in women with Type 1 diabetes
Less Common Symptoms
Less common symptoms of Sheehan’s syndrome are including:
- Headache[6]
- Refractory hypotension[7][8]
- Sinus sick syndrome and cardiac arrest[9][10][11]
- Generalized seizures due to hyponatremia[12]
- Adrenal insufficiency causing asthenia, anorexia, and weakness.
Non-specific symptoms
Patients with Sheehan’s syndrome may present with the following non-specific symptoms:
| Acute hypopituitarism (days/weeks) | Chronic hypopituitarism (months/years) |
|---|---|
|
Symptoms of deficient hormones
In Sheehan’s syndrome, either one or a few of the pituitary gland hormones are decreased (hypopituitarism) or all of the hormones (panhypopituitarism) may be decreased. In this table, each hormone deficiency symptoms are listed.[18]
| Pituitary gland | Hormone | Symptoms of deficiency |
|---|---|---|
| Anterior pituitary | Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone (ACTH) | The most critical hormonal deficiency.[19][20] |
| Growth Hormone (GH) |
| |
| Gonadotropin hormones: | ||
| Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) |
| |
| Prolactin |
| |
| Posterior pituitary | Oxytocin |
|
| Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) |
References
References
- ā _SYMPTOMA.com_1-0|1.0 _SYMPTOMA.com_1-1|1.1 “Sheehan Syndrome (Sheehan’s Syndrome) | SYMPTOMA.com”.
- ā Gei-Guardia O, Soto-Herrera E, Gei-Brealey A, Chen-Ku CH (2011). “Sheehan syndrome in Costa Rica: clinical experience with 60 cases”. Endocr Pract. 17 (3): 337ā44. doi:10.4158/EP10145.OR. PMIDĀ 21041170.
- ā Kaufmann P, Lax SF, Radner H, Eber B, Leuger A, Smolle KH (1995). “Severe hypotension and coma secondary to unrecognized chronic anterior hypophysitis”. Intensive Care Med. 21 (10): 847ā9. PMIDĀ 8557875.
- ā Shoib S, Dar MM, Arif T, Bashir H, Bhat MH, Ahmed J (2013). “Sheehan’s syndrome presenting as psychosis: a rare clinical presentation”. Med J Islam Repub Iran. 27 (1): 35ā7. PMCĀ 3592941. PMIDĀ 23483784.
- ā Chihaoui M, Yazidi M, Chaker F, Belouidhnine M, Kanoun F, Lamine F, Ftouhi B, Sahli H, Slimane H (2016). “Bone Mineral Density in Sheehan’s Syndrome; Prevalence of Low Bone Mass and Associated Factors”. J Clin Densitom. 19 (4): 413ā418. doi:10.1016/j.jocd.2016.02.002. PMIDĀ 26993664.
- ā Hale B, Habib AS (2014). “Sheehan syndrome: acute presentation with severe headache”. Int J Obstet Anesth. 23 (4): 383ā6. doi:10.1016/j.ijoa.2014.04.011. PMIDĀ 25223643.
- ā Liang L, Liu JB, Chen FQ, Zhao J, Zhang XL (2017). “Refractory hypotension induced by Sheehan syndrome with pituitary crisis: A case report”. Exp Ther Med. 13 (5): 2097ā2101. doi:10.3892/etm.2017.4188. PMCĀ 5443209. PMIDĀ 28565814.
- ā George A, Phillips M, Sweeney L, Colombo C (2015). “A 56 year old woman with syncope, weakness, and refractory hypotension”. BMJ. 350: h3387. PMIDĀ 26113625.
- ā Bouznad N, Mghari GE, Hattaoui ME, Ansari NE (2017). “[Atypical and rare cardiac revelation about Sheehan’s syndrome: A report of three cases]”. Ann Cardiol Angeiol (Paris) (in French). doi:10.1016/j.ancard.2016.12.007. PMIDĀ 28129900.
- ā Zhao D, Zhang Q, Lu J, Zhang G, Lu H, Huang J, Shan Q (2014). “Sick sinus syndrome associated with hypopituitarism: a case report and literature review”. J Biomed Res. 28 (5): 429ā32. doi:10.7555/JBR.28.20130099. PMCĀ 4197395. PMIDĀ 25332716.
- ā Cao L, Lu Z, Zheng Y (2014). “Sheehan’s syndrome with cardiac arrest: a case report and review of the literature”. Neuro Endocrinol. Lett. 35 (5): 352ā4. PMIDĀ 25275267.
- ā Parikh R, Buch V, Makwana M, Buch HN (2016). “The price of a 15-year delay in diagnosis of Sheehan’s syndrome”. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 29 (2): 212ā3. PMCĀ 4790577. PMIDĀ 27034575.
- ā Weiner P, Ben-Israel J, Plavnick L (1979). “Sheehan’s syndrome with diabetes insipidus. A case study”. Isr. J. Med. Sci. 15 (5): 431ā3. PMIDĀ 447511.
- ā Collins ML, O’Brien P, Cline A (1979). “Diabetes insipidus following obstetric shock”. Obstet Gynecol. 53 (3 Suppl): 16Sā17S. PMIDĀ 424117.
- ā Atmaca H, Tanriverdi F, Gokce C, Unluhizarci K, Kelestimur F (2007). “Posterior pituitary function in Sheehan’s syndrome”. Eur. J. Endocrinol. 156 (5): 563ā7. doi:10.1530/EJE-06-0727. PMIDĀ 17468192.
- ā Bakiri F, Benmiloud M, Vallotton MB (1984). “Arginine-vasopressin in postpartum panhypopituitarism: urinary excretion and kidney response to osmolar load”. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 58 (3): 511ā5. doi:10.1210/jcem-58-3-511. PMIDĀ 6693547.
- ā Jialal I, Desai RK, Rajput MC (1987). “An assessment of posterior pituitary function in patients with Sheehan’s syndrome”. Clin. Endocrinol. (Oxf). 27 (1): 91ā5. PMIDĀ 3652485.
- ā Fleseriu, Maria; Hashim, Ibrahim A.; Karavitaki, Niki; Melmed, Shlomo; Murad, M. Hassan; Salvatori, Roberto; Samuels, Mary H. (2016). “Hormonal Replacement in Hypopituitarism in Adults: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline”. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 101 (11): 3888ā3921. doi:10.1210/jc.2016-2118. ISSNĀ 0021-972X.
- ā Burke, C.W. (1985). “Adrenocortical insufficiency”. Clinics in Endocrinology and Metabolism. 14 (4): 947ā976. doi:10.1016/S0300-595X(85)80084-0. ISSNĀ 0300-595X.
- ā Bancos I, Hahner S, Tomlinson J, Arlt W (2015). “Diagnosis and management of adrenal insufficiency”. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 3 (3): 216ā26. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(14)70142-1. PMIDĀ 25098712.
- ā Murray RD, Columb B, Adams JE, Shalet SM (2004). “Low bone mass is an infrequent feature of the adult growth hormone deficiency syndrome in middle-age adults and the elderly”. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 89 (3): 1124ā30. doi:10.1210/jc.2003-030685. PMIDĀ 15001597.
- ā Miller KK, Biller BM, Hier J, Arena E, Klibanski A (2002). “Androgens and bone density in women with hypopituitarism”. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 87 (6): 2770ā6. doi:10.1210/jcem.87.6.8557. PMIDĀ 12050248.
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Iqra Qamar M.D.[2]
