Sheehan's syndrome with pancytopenia: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Introduction. Sheehan's syndrome is defined by varying degrees of anterior pituitary deficiency due to postpartum ischemic necrosis of the pituitary gland after massive bleeding. It is a rare disorder in western countries and even in Tunisia. Hematologic abnormalities such as normochromic anemia have been reported in these patients. However, pancytopenia is rarely observed. Case presentation. We describe the case of a 48-year-old Tunisian woman with features of hypopituitarism. Laboratory tests showed pancytopenia that was completely reversed after adequate hormone replacement. Conclusion: Clinicians should consider the possibility of hypopituitarism as a cause of pancytopenia. This is an original case report that is of interest to hematologists, who should be aware of Sheehan's syndrome as a treatable etiology of pancytopenia for women. © 2011 Fatma et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.