Postpartum hypothalamic dysfunction - a case report

Abstract

Hypothalamic dysfunction is a rarely diagnosed endocrine disorder resulting from various pathological processes affecting this brain region. It is characterized by a complex clinical manifestation, including headaches, abnormal regulation of various behaviours, abnormalities in sleeping and thermoregulation, and inappropriate secretion of many hormones. In our paper, we report the case of a 29-year-old female in whom hypothalamic dysfunction was induced by delivery complications. Accurate diagnosis of this syndrome required complex laboratory and imaging tests. The disease-related obesity was resistant to conventional treatment (diet and pharmacotherapy) and only bariatric surgery caused a reduction of body mass. The described patient is the first with postpartum hypothalamic dysfunction in whom plasma levels of adipokines, neuropeptides, and alimentary tract hormones contributing to physiological regulation of food intake were assessed. (Pol J Endocrinol 2010; 61 (4): 396-399)