PROBABLE HYPOTHALAMIC DISORDER REQUIRING CORTICOID THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH PITUITARY ADENOMA OR CRANIOPHARYNGIOMA

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  • 1 January 1962
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 87  (21) , 1096-+
Abstract
In 4 cases of hypo-pituitarism the need for corticosteroids was not associated with im-pairment of urine 17-hydroxycorticoid response to intravenous ACTH in 2 of the patients, to I131 uptake in 2, and to protein-bound iodine in 3. There was no increase in urinary 17-hydroxycorticoids following oral methopyrapone (750 g. every 4 hrs. for 6 doses). The urine con-centrating ability was not impaired significantly. The results suggest that suprasellar rather than the intrasellar derangement from pituitary tumours is often the main cause of the hypopituitarism. It is con-cluded that methopyrapone offers desirable sensitivity and specificity in the testing of pituitary function.