CASE-REPORT - INTERFERON-INDUCED COMA IN SHEEHANS-SYNDROME

A 54-year-old woman who was being treated with 10 million units (mu) o f natural interferon (IFN)-alpha per day for chronic active hepatitis C al. a local clinic, developed coma on the fourth day of treatment. O n admission to Yamagata University Hospital, she was still in a state of semicoma with severe hyponatraemia (122 mEq/L) and hypochloraemia ( 89 mEq/L). After the administration of electrolytes, her condition imp roved remarkably. Endocrinological loading tests showed a hypofunction of the anterior pituitary gland. In consideration of these results, a nd her past experiences of haemorrhage during childbirth and subsequen t amenorrhoea, we diagnosed her illness as a coma as a result of Sheeh an's syndrome which had become overt during IFN therapy. She recovered completely after treatment with hydrocortisone and 1-thyroxine.