LYMPHOCYTIC HYPOPHYSITIS

Lymphocytic hypophysitis is a rare entity; we report here three cases, This condition usually occurs in women during pregnancy or in the pos t-partum period, Pituitary enlargement is associated with complete or partial hypopituitarism.The difficulty in diagnosis is well illustrate d by our cases and results from the similarity between the clinical an d biological signs of adenoma and hypophysitis. Circulating antipituit ary antibodies are not constantly found and are nonspecific, evidence only of the autoimmune nature of hypophysitis. Thus the diagnosis has to be undertaken in all suspected cases in pregnant women or during th e post-partum period, The clinical course may be very long, emphasizin g the need for rigorous long-term observation, The pituitary gland is commonly enlarged and homogenous in lymphocytic hypophysitis, but in o ur third case the enlargement was heterogeneous with associated cyst f ormation, We suggest that the inflammatory process could have been mai ntained by the presence of cysts, Finally, corticosteroids are the the rapy of choice in the inflammatory stage and should be undertaken as s oon as the diagnosis has been established. Regular surveillance is req uired.