OVERVIEW
Lymphocytic pituitary inflammation is an inflammatory disease caused by an autoimmune response.
Lymphocytic pituitary inflammation is an inflammatory disease caused by an autoimmune reaction, characterized by infiltration of pituitary lymphocytes, destruction of pituitary tissue, and subsequent abnormalities in pituitary function. It is one of the latest autoimmune endocrine diseases to be discovered in humans.
Whether medical insurance
Yes, it is
Department
Endocrinology
Alias
Autoimmune Pituitary Inflammation
Clinical Symptoms
Headache, loss of vision, chills, fatigue, nausea, etc.
Harmful effects
It may not only affect the endocrine and nervous system functions, but also the visual, digestive and reproductive systems.
Complications
Uremia, amenorrhea, diplopia, etc.
Tests
Indirect immunofluorescence antibody test, anterior pituitary function evaluation, CT, MRI, histopathological examination, etc.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis is based on medical history, as well as clinical manifestations such as headache and vision loss, combined with histopathology and other tests.
Treatment principle
There is no special treatment yet, hormones and other medications can be given, and surgery can be performed if necessary.
Curability
With treatment, symptoms can be relieved and the disease process can be slowed down.
Dietary recommendations
Eat a light, balanced diet and avoid spicy, oily and other stimulating foods.
Causes
Epidemiology
This disease is a rare endocrine disorder. According to current data, 80% to 90% of patients are female. Of these, 90% are premenopausal (<50 years old) women, 50%-75% occur during pregnancy, and the average age at diagnosis is 34.5 years for women and 44.7 years for men. There is no race-specific or familial tendency to develop the disease.
Etiology
The etiology is unknown and may be related to autoimmunity.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Typical symptoms
1. Symptoms caused by intracranial space occupation: due to the increase in intracranial pressure caused by significant enlargement of the pituitary gland, the patient may have headache, nausea, vomiting, etc.; the lesion compressing the optic cross may lead to decreased visual acuity and visual field defects. 2. Symptoms of anterior pituitary hypopituitarism: the most common one is hypopituitary-adrenal axis hypopituitarism, which is mainly manifested as weakness, malaise, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and decrease in blood pressure, hypoglycemia, susceptibility to infection, etc. Hypopituitarism may be characterized by pallor, thinning of hair, indifference, fear of cold, dry skin, edema, slow heart rate, and unresponsiveness. Hypoprolactinemia and breast milk overflow: in some patients, due to the involvement of pituitary stalks, prolactin level increases, leading to amenorrhea and (or) breast milk overflow.
Diagnostic basis
The disease can be initially diagnosed based on history, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests and imaging manifestations, and can be diagnosed by histopathologic examination if lymphocytic infiltration is found in the pituitary tissue.
Treatment
Treatment
Immunosuppressants, hormones and other medications are used to reduce the size of the pituitary lesions and to replace the lack of pituitary hormones, and surgery is used if necessary.
Drug treatment
1. Symptomatic treatment: for those with hypoadrenocorticism, adrenocorticotropic hormone should be supplemented and hydrocortisone can be given, which can improve the symptoms and reduce the mortality rate; those with hypothyroidism should be supplemented with thyroid hormone and thyroid tablets or levothyroxine can be given; those with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism can be given gonadotropic hormone, and bromocriptine can be given to those with elevated levels of prolactin.2. The disease is an autoimmune disease, which can be treated with glucose, corticosteroid, immunosuppressant therapy and other medications. Corticosteroids and immunosuppressants can be used to improve the function of the pituitary gland.
Surgical treatment
Transsphenoidal surgery can be used to relieve the compression symptoms for those with headache and obvious visual field and vision impairment, but transsphenoidal surgery may aggravate the symptoms of hypopituitarism.
Prognosis
After treatment, the prognosis is favorable.
Nursing care
Daily care
1. Regular life, pay attention to rest, avoid excessive exertion. 2. Do a good job of psychological care, maintain an optimistic state of mind, avoid emotional excitement. 3. Exercise appropriately, strengthen the physical fitness. 4. Follow the doctor’s instructions, reasonable use of medication, and regular rechecks.
Dietary management
Light diet, balanced diet, give high protein, vitamin-rich diet, avoid spicy, greasy and other stimulating food, avoid smoking and alcohol.