Endocrine Abstracts

The data of etiology and clinical characteristics of hypopituitarism in different countries differes. The aim of the study is to investigate etiology and some clinical characteristics of patients with hypopituitarism that were treated in the Clinical center of Vojvodina. The study was conducted as a retrospective study. There were 32 males and 28 female patients. Mean age was 52.2±17.5 years. Data was analized before and after substitution of hypopituitarism. Patients were treated with levothyroxine, hydrocortisone, sexual steroids, growth hormone and with desmopresine depending on the type deficiency. At the time of the diagnosis, mean age was 40.2±18.7 and the average period of treatment was 15.9±11.4 years. The most common causes of hypopituitarism were pituitary macroadenomas (53.3%) and craniopharyngeomas (21.7%). Partial hypopituitarism with deficiency in two or more functions was diagnosed in 64.4% subjects and panhypopituitarism in 28.8%, deficiency of one function in 6,8%. Average body mass index after the treatment was 27.8±6.5 kg/m². Blood pressure was in normal range and without changes during the treatment. High levels of total cholesterol and LDLcholesterol before the treatment showed statistically significant decrease during the treatment (6.29±1.57 vs 5.32±1.38 mmol/l; P≤0.009 and 4.12±1.45 vs. 3.20±1.11 mmol/l; P≤0.005 respectly). Levels of HDLcholesterol and triglycerides were not changed significantly during the treatment. Crosslaps was decreased non-significantly and bone mineral density showed absence of osteopenia and osteoporosis during treatment. Correlation analysis showed statistically significant negative correlation between LDL cholesterol and levothyroxine (r=−0.341). 10% of subjects had a cardiovascular event. One subject died because of sepsis. We concluded that hypopituitarism in our region is commonest in the middle aged population, the main cause being pituitary macroadenomas. Cardiovascular risk factors of untreated hypopituitarism are reversible and cardiovascular events are rare.