Brain injury : [BI]
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Brain injury : [BI] · Apr 2007
Pituitary functions in the acute phase of traumatic brain injury: are they related to severity of the injury or mortality?
There are only limited data regarding pituitary functions in the acute phase of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and previous studies have been conducted in only small cohorts of subjects. Therefore we have investigated the pituitary functions in the early acute phase, within 24 hours of trauma, in 104 patients with TBI. Additionally, the relationships between basal pituitary hormones, severity of the trauma and mortality due to trauma were also investigated. ⋯ Present data clearly demonstrate that pituitary function is disturbed in TBI and the most frequently deficient pituitary hormones were gonadotrophins in the early acute phase of TBI. Basal hormone levels including cortisol, prolactin and total testosterone were related to the severity of the trauma. However there was no relation between basal hormones and mortality due to TBI. Age and GCS were significantly related to mortality.