Clinical manifestations of Sheehan syndrome in patients with pituitary amenorrhea

Sheehan syndrome is a classic manifestation of pituitary atrophy, which occurs especially in postpartum hemorrhage and shock. Postpartum hemorrhage can easily cause thrombosis of the portal vein between the anterior pituitary gland and the hypothalamus, leading to necrosis of the anterior pituitary gland, decreased levels of various troponins, and hypofunction of the thyroid gland, adrenal cortex, ovaries, etc., resulting in the following symptoms:

Insufficient secretion of gonadotropin

The main manifestations are absence of follicular development, low estrogen, long-term amenorrhea, breast and genital atrophy, low androgen levels, lack of sexual function, memory loss, edema, etc.

Insufficient secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone

Symptoms of general weakness

Insufficient secretion of thyroid stimulating hormone

Symptoms include chills, pale complexion, rough skin, hair loss, dull expression, slow reaction, and slow heart rate.

Prolactin deficiency

Prolactin deficiency causes the patient to be unable to produce milk or to produce little milk.

Growth hormone deficiency

The main manifestation of growth hormone deficiency in patients with pituitary amenorrhea is susceptibility to hypoglycemia.

The clinical manifestations of anterior pituitary hypofunction depend on the degree of pituitary tissue destruction. It is estimated that clinical symptoms begin to appear when more than 50% of the pituitary tissue is destroyed; symptoms are obvious when 75% of the pituitary tissue is destroyed; severe symptoms of pan-anterior pituitary hypofunction will appear when 95% of the pituitary tissue is destroyed, and occasionally the posterior pituitary gland may be affected, resulting in diabetes insipidus.