BACKGROUND: Post-trauma hypopituitarism is a rare disease, accounting for o
nly 3% of all cases of hypopituitarism reported in the literature.
CASE REPORT: A 56-year old woman developed central diabetes insipidus immed
iately after severe cranio-facial trauma. Four years later, she suffered se
vere asthenia and hypoglycemia faintness. The diagnosis of isolated cortico
trope insufficiency was retained. Magnetic resonance imaging evidenced an i
ntrasellar arachnoidocele with extinction of the posterior pituitary gland'
s spontaneous hypersignal.
DISCUSSION: Most cases of post-trauma hypopituitarism occur after high-ener
gy head trauma. Hypopituitarism exceptionally involves only one hormone, pa
rticularly growth hormone. The pathogenesis involves hypothalamic failure m
ore often than pituitary gland failure.