Med. praxi. 2018;15(1):43-45 | DOI: 10.36290/med.2018.008

Late sequelae of head injury from the perspective of an endocrinologist

MUDr. Jan Schovánek, Ph.D., MUDr. Ľubica Cibičková, Ph.D., doc. MUDr. Zdeněk Fryšák, CSc.,, doc. MUDr. David Karásek, Ph.D.

III. interní klinika – nefrologická, revmatologická a endokrinologická, Fakultní nemocnice Olomouc

a Lékařská fakulta Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci

Head injuries have been an increasing challenge for the whole society, representing the leading cause of death and permanent disabilityin young men. Traumatic head injuries most commonly occur as a result of traffic accidents, falls, violence, sports injuries, and last butnot least as part of war injuries. The mechanism of origin of an endocrine disorder at first glance appears obvious and unquestionable,but upon looking more closely, one finds that its exact pathophysiological mechanisms have not yet been established. These can becontributed to by autoimmune mechanisms and the extent of sequelae in a traumatic head injury can even be influenced by a certaingenetic predisposition. Early and detailed diagnosis followed by appropriate treatment can significantly affect the patient’s healthcondition and facilitate recovery. In 2006, the Endocrine Society of the Czech Medical Association of J. E. Purkyně developed a simpleevaluation tool for diagnosing endocrine disorders resulting from head injury. To evidence the above, a case report is presented whichdocuments the development of a neuroendocrine deficiency in a 32-year-old man 11 years after a car accident.

Keywords: hypopituitarism, head injury, central hypothyroidism

Published: March 1, 2018  Show citation