Overview
Also known as lymphocytic hypophysitis, this disease is characterized by chronic inflammation of the pituitary gland resulting in a reduction of several pituitary hormones related to various metabolic functions.
Autoimmune Hypophysitis/Lymphocytic hypophysitis
Common Symptoms
Headache, absence of menstruation in females, sexual dysfunction in males, visual disturbances, and diplopia.
Coexisting Diseases and Conditions
Diabetes insipidus, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, and Addison’s disease.
Risk Factors and Prevalence
Research states that females are 3 times more likely to get autoimmune hypophysitis than males. The condition also is more likely to occur during the third trimester of pregnancy or early postpartum period.
Recent Research
- The novel concept of “Onco-Immuno-Endocrinology” led to the discovery of new clinical entity “paraneoplastic autoimmune hypophysitis” (2022)
- Paraneoplastic autoimmune hypophysitis: a novel form of paraneoplastic endocrine syndrome (2023)
- Outcomes of Initial Management Strategies in Patients With Autoimmune Lymphocytic Hypophysitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (2022)
- IgG4-related hypophysitis: a retrospective cohort study (2022)
Sources
- Article Sources
Gutenberg, A., Landek-Salgado, M., Tzou, S.-C., Lupi, I., Geis, A., Kimura, H., & Caturegli, P. (2009). Autoimmune hypophysitis: Expanding the differential diagnosis to CTLA-4 blockade. Expert Review of Endocrinology & Metabolism, 4(6), 681–698. https://doi.org/10.1586/eem.09.37.
Rose, N. R., & Mackay, I. R. (2020). The Autoimmune Diseases (6th ed., pp. 815–828). Academic Press.
Dalmazi, G. Di, Caturegli, P. & Chalan, P. Chapter 43 – Autoimmune Hypophysitis. in The Autoimmune Diseases (Sixth Edition) (eds. Rose, N. R. & Mackay, I. R.) 815–830 (Academic Press, 2020). doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-812102-3.00043-9.
Iwama S, De Remigis A, Callahan MK, Slovin SF, Wolchok JD, Caturegli P. “Pituitary expression of CTLA-4 mediates hypophysitis secondary to administration of CTLA-4 blocking antibody.” Sci Transl Med. 2014 Apr 2;6(230):230ra45. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3008002