Four decades without diagnosis: Sheehan's syndrome, a retrospective analysis

Abstract

AbstractAim: Sheehan‘s syndrome (SS) remains a frequent cause of hypopituitarism in undeveloped and developing countries, but due to improvements in obstetric care, it is rare in developed countries. We aimed to share the results of a retrospective study analyzing the demographic, clinical, imaging, and hormonal characteristics of a large group of patients with SS, and also increase awareness of this syndrome especially in developed countries.Methods: The medical records of 124 patients with SS patients who were followed up in the Endocrinology Department of Dicle University between 1995 and 2015 were assessed retrospectively.Results: The mean period of diagnostic delay was 20.37 ± 8.34 years on average. 5.7% of patients with SS were literate; 62% of patients delivered at home. Anemia was identified in 64.5% of SS patients. Mean blood sodium levels were 129.8 ± 11.3 mEq/L. The mean urine densities were 1013 ± 6.5. Osteoporosis and osteopenia were found in 44 (35.4%) and 71 (57.2%) patients, respectively, ...