Sella turcica size in women with sheehan syndrome—A case–control study

Abstract

Introduction: Sheehan syndrome is a common cause of hypopituitarism in developing countries. Among risk factors, in addition to post-partum haemorrhage, a smaller sellar volume is also believed to predispose to pituitary necrosis. Some earlier studies have reported smaller sellar volume in these patients but involved a small number of patients and lacked matched controls. The main of the present study was to study the sellar volume in a large cohort of patients with Sheehan syndrome and compare it with age- and parity-matched controls. Methods: Fifty women with Sheehan syndrome and an equal number of age- and parity-matched controls were studied. Baseline investigations, relevant hormonal assay, and MRI of pituitary were studied in all. Results: Sellar volume was significantly lower in patients with Sheehan syndrome (334.50 ± 129.08 mm3 in patients as against 456.64 ± 169.25 mm3 in controls, P = 0.000). Far more women with Sheehan syndrome than controls had decreased sellar volume (40% vs. 12%). Conclusions: Patients with Sheehan syndrome have a smaller sellar volume that may be a non-modifiable risk factor for the development of post-partum pituitary necrosis.

Keywords

• hypopituitarism
• mri
• post-partum haemorrhage
• sellar size
• sheehan syndrome