Hypopituitarism following Pituitary Irradiation for Acromegaly

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Abstract
Endocrine evaluation is reported in 8 acromegalic patients who received 5500 rad to the pituitary from a linear accelerator. There was a mean decrease in hGH [human growth hormone] levels of 72%. Plasma testosterone levels were low in 1 of the 6 male patients prior to pituitary irradiation and were below normal in all male patients on the final evaluation (3.1 .+-. 0.2 SD yr postirradiation). Deficiency of TSH [thyrotropin] secretion developed in 2 patients following irradiation. This rather high incidence of postirradiation partial hypopituitarism was not anticipated, and is thought to be related to radiation necrosis of the normal pituitary tissue which surrounds the adenoma.