Health Encyclopedia

Sheehan syndrome

Definition

Sheehan syndrome is a condition that may occur in a woman who has a severe uterine hemorrhage during childbirth. The resulting severe blood loss causes tissue death in her pituitary gland and leads to hypopituitarism following the birth.

Alternative Names

Postpartum hypopituitarism; Postpartum pituitary insufficiency; Hypopituitarism Syndrome

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

If a woman's pituitary gland is starved of blood because she bled severely during childbirth, the gland may lose its ability to function properly. The pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain, produces hormones that help regulate growth, reproduction, and metabolism.

Today, Sheehan syndrome is very rare.

Conditions that increase the risk of an obstetric hemorrhage and Sheehan syndrome include multiple pregnancies (twins or triplets) and abnormalities of the placenta.

Symptoms

The pituitary gland normally produces hormones that stimulate breast milk production, growth, reproductive functions, the thyroid, and the adrenal glands. A lack of these hormones results in a variety of symptoms related to all of these areas.

These symptoms may include:

Inability to breast-feed (breast milk never "comes in")
Fatigue
Loss of pubic and axillary hair
Amenorrhea, or lack of menstrual bleeding
Low blood pressure

Signs and tests

Blood tests are performed to measure hormone levels.
A CT scan of the head may be recommended to rule out other abnormalities of the pituitary such as a tumor.

Treatment

The treatment for pituitary insufficiency is lifelong hormone substitute medication, including estrogen and progesterone hormone replacement. Thyroid and adrenal hormones also must be taken.

Expectations (prognosis)

The outlook with early diagnosis and treatment is excellent.

Complications

This condition can be life-threatening if not treated because of the lack of thyroid and adrenal hormones, which allow the body to react to stress or infections.

Prevention

Extreme hemorrhage during birth is often preventable by modern medical care. Otherwise, Sheehan syndrome is not preventable.

Review Date:11/8/2006
Reviewed By:Audra Robertson, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

ADAM Quality A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency) and this website do not claim the information on, or referred to by, this site is error free. This site may include links to websites of other government agencies or private groups. Our Agency and this website do not control such sites and are not responsible for their content. Reference to or links to any other group, product, service, or information does not mean our Agency or this website approves of that group, product, service, or information.

Additionally, while health information provided through this website may be a valuable resource for the public, it is not designed to offer medical advice. Talk with your doctor about medical care questions you may have.