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Lymphocytic Hypophysitis and Inflammatory Disease of the Pituitary

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Diagnosis and Management of Pituitary Disorders

Part of the book series: Contemporary Endocrinology ((COE))

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Summary

The most common form of primary hypophysitis is lymphocytic hypophysitis (LH), which is a rare inflammatory disorder of the pituitary that may present both as a sellar mass extending into the suprasellar space and as hypopituitarism. It is often confused radiographically with pituitary tumors. It usually presents in the peripartum period and may be associated with autoimmune diseases. The clinical context is usually quite important in raising the clinical suspicion of this disorder. This chapter discusses the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, imaging, differential diagnosis, and management of LH.

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© 2008 Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

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Ulmer, S., Byrne, T.N. (2008). Lymphocytic Hypophysitis and Inflammatory Disease of the Pituitary. In: Swearingen, B., Biller, B.M. (eds) Diagnosis and Management of Pituitary Disorders. Contemporary Endocrinology. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-264-9_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-264-9_18

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-922-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59745-264-9

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