Selective hypopituitarism with severe hyponatremia and secondary hyporeninism

• Published in: The journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism Vol. 46; no. 1; p. 15
• Main Authors: Major, P, Kuchel, O, Boucher, R, Nowaczynski, W, Genest, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-01-1978
• Subjects: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - deficiency; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - pharmacology; Aldosterone - blood; Angiotensin II - pharmacology; Female; Fludrocortisone - therapeutic use; Humans; Hydrocortisone - blood; Hydrocortisone - therapeutic use; Hyponatremia - drug therapy; Hyponatremia - metabolism; Hypopituitarism - drug therapy; Hypopituitarism - metabolism; Middle Aged; Renin - blood; Sodium - blood; Thyroxine - therapeutic use
• ISSN: 0021-972X
• DOI: 10.1210/jcem-46-1-15

A female patient presenting clinically a severe hyponatremia was found to have a selective hypopituitarism with predominant ACTH and partial FSH, LH, and GH deficiency as well as a suppression of plasma renin activity and aldosterone. The adrenal cortex responded well in cortisol increase to ACTH infusion and in plasma aldosterone increase to angiotensin II infusion. The patient had pressor hyperreactivity to angiotensin II. The hyponatremia was caused by a negative sodium balance induced by excessive urinary loss which remained unaffected by mineralocorticoid treatment. Substitution doses of cortisol, however, corrected the disturbance with an increase in plasma renin activity and improvement in the sodium balance. The data are interpreted as indicating a direct or indirect regulatory (permissive?) effect of low doses of cortisol on plasma renin activity correcting the underlying disturbance--the secondary hyporeninism.