Journal Article

Hypopituitarism with secondary adrenocortical insufficiency and arginine vasopressin deficiency due to hypophysitis after COVID-19 vaccination: a case report

Kitayama, Saori, Kodera, Remi, Chiba, Yuko, Sato, Motoya, Toyoshima, Kenji, Watanabe, So, Oba, Kazuhito, Araki, Atsushi, Tamura, Yoshiaki

2024

Overview

Background Although vaccination against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has several side effects, hypopituitarism due to hypophysitis has rarely been reported. Case presentation An 83-year-old healthy woman, who had received her fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose 2 days before admission, presented to the emergency department with difficulty moving. On examination, impaired consciousness (Glasgow Coma Scale: 14) and fever were observed. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the head revealed swelling from the sella turcica to the suprasellar region. Her morning serum cortisol level was low (4.4 μg/dL) and adrenocorticotropic hormone level was normal (21.6 pg/mL). Central hypothyroidism was also suspected (thyroid stimulating hormone, 0.46 μIU/mL; free triiodothyronine, 1.86 pg/mL; free thyroxine, 0.48 ng/dL). Secondary adrenocortical insufficiency, growth hormone deficiency, delayed gonadotropin response, and elevated prolactin levels were also observed. After administration of prednisolone and levothyroxine, her consciousness recovered. On the 7th day of admission, the patient developed polyuria, and arginine vasopressin deficiency was diagnosed using a hypertonic saline test. On the 15th day, the posterior pituitary gland showed a loss of high signal intensity and the polyuria resolved spontaneously. On the 134th day, the corticotropin-releasing hormone loading test showed a normal response; however, the thyrotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test showed a low response. The patient’s disease course was stable with continued thyroid and adrenal corticosteroid supplementation. Conclusions Herein, we report a rare case of anterior hypopituitarism and arginine vasopressin deficiency secondary to hypophysitis following COVID-19 vaccination.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Addison's disease / Adrenal Insufficiency - etiology / Adrenocorticotropic hormone / Aged, 80 and over / Arginine / Arginine Vasopressin - deficiency / Argipressin / ASIA / Autoimmune diseases / Case Report / Computed tomography / Consciousness / Coronaviruses / Corticosteroids / Corticotropin-releasing hormone / COVID-19 - complications / COVID-19 vaccination / COVID-19 vaccines / COVID-19 Vaccines - adverse effects / CT imaging / Diabetes / Disease / Emergency medical care / Endocrine disorders / Endocrinology / Female / Fever / Glycoproteins / Gonadotropins / Growth hormones / Hormone replacement therapy / Hormones / Humans / Hypophysitis - chemically induced / Hypophysitis - etiology / Hypopituitarism / Hypopituitarism - etiology / Hypothyroidism / Immunoglobulins / Inflammation / Magnetic resonance imaging / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Metabolic Diseases / mRNA vaccines / Peptides / Pituitary (anterior) / Pituitary (posterior) / Pituitary gland / Pituitary hormones / Polyuria / Prednisolone / Prolactin / Proteins / rology / Sarcoidosis / SARS-CoV-2 / Secondary adrenocortical insufficiency / Steroids / Thyroid / Thyroid gland / Thyroid hormones / Thyroid-stimulating hormone / Thyrotropin-releasing hormone / Thyroxine / Triiodothyronine / Vaccination / Vaccination - adverse effects / Vasopressin