RECURRENT CONFUSION AND HYPOPITUITARISM

Three women in late middle age had recurrent episodes of confusion whi ch could not be explained solely on the basis of an associated infecti on. All three patients had latent hypopituitarism diagnosed on final p resentation. Each patient had a previous history of a severe postpartu m haemorrhage followed by two further pregnancies. Experienced clinici ans had not made a diagnosis of confusional episodes due to hypopituit ary encephalopathy because the history was not immediately available i n the confused patient, and the significance of deficient axillary and pubic hair was not given due emphasis.