Abstract
We describe a 55-year-old woman who presented with pancytopenia with a normocytic and normochromic anemia which was progressive despite conventional treatments such as folic acid, vitamin B6, and oxymetholone. Her physical findings and history of a previous massive postpartum hemorrhage suggested Sheehan’s syndrome, and the pituitary hormonal studies revealed panhypopituitarism. After 4 months of thyroxine and glucocorticoid replacement therapy, her pancytopenia and bone marrow hypoplasia recovered completely. Pancytopenia is a rare manifestation of a hormonal abnormality, but hematologists need to be aware of panhypopituitarism as a differential diagnosis when women showing features of hypopituitarism present with pancytopenia because it can be reversed with adequate hormone replacement.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ferrari E, Ascari E, Bossolo PA, Barosi G (1976) Sheehan’s syndrome with complete bone marrow aplasia: long-term results of substitution therapy with hormones. Br J Haematol 33:575–582
Erslev AJ (2001) Anemia of endocrine disorders. In: Ernest B, Marshall AL, Barry SC, Thomas JK (eds) Williams hematology, 6th edn. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp 407–412
Lindeman RD, Trygstad O, Halvorsen S (1969) Pituitary control of erythropoiesis. Scand J Haematol 6:77
Alexanian R (1973) Erythropoietin excretion in bone marrow failure and hemolytic anemia. J Lab Clin Med 82:438–445
Young NS (2000) Aplastic anemia and related bone marrow failure syndromes. In: Goldman L, Bennet JC (eds) Cecil textbook of medicine, 21st edn. Sanders, Philadelphia, pp 848–855
Shadduck RK (2001) Aplastic anemia. In: Ernest B, Marshall AL, Bany SC, Thomas JK (eds) Williams hematology, 6th edn. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp 375–390
Bloom A, Bryson CC (1948) Aplastic anemia in Simmonds’s disease: report of a case. Br Med J ii:75
Gilbert-Dreyfus F, Savoie JC, Chimenes H (1953) A propos de deux cas de panhypopituitarisme masculin. Reflexion d’ordre diagnostique et therapeutique. Bull Mem Soc Med Hop 59:1019
Killmann SA (1956) A case of pancytopenia in hypopituitarism. With a review of the hematological changes in clinical and experimental pituitary insufficiency. Acta Haematol 15:34–45
Koch E (1956) Die partielle Hypophysenvorderlappen-Insuffizienz. In: Symposium der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Endokrinologie, Berlin, p 108
Pedro-Pons A (1960) La enfermedad de simmonds-Sheehan y los syndromes de insufficiencia de la hipofisis anterior. Med Clin (Barc) 34:323
Michon P, Larcan A, Streiff F, Canton P (1962) Anemie de L’insuffisance ante-hypophysaire. Ann Med Nancy 1:347
Abe H, Shigeta T, Oji M, Oki K, Otoshi M, Nakamra Y (1969) A case of Sheehan syndrome with brain atrophy following repeated hypoglycemic coma. Nihon Rinsho Meneki Gakkai Kaishi 27:221
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This study was supported by a grant from Seoul Municipal Boramae Hospital Clinical Research Fund (2002)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kim, DY., Kim, J.H., Park, Y.J. et al. Case of complete recovery of pancytopenia after treatment of hypopituitarism. Ann Hematol 83, 309–312 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-003-0800-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-003-0800-4