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Simmonds' disease

**Simmonds' disease**
*Classification & external resources*
ICD-10	E23.0
ICD-9	253.2
DiseasesDB	11998
MeSH	D007018

Simmonds' disease (also Simmonds' syndrome) refers to panhypopituitarism caused by the destruction of the pituitary gland due to infiltrative processes (e.g. lymphocytic), tumours (pituitary adenomas or craniopharyngiomas) or trauma (cranial injury or following surgery).

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Sheehan's syndrome is a sub-classification of Simmond's disease occurring specifically in the peripartum period.

Eponym

It was first described by Morris Simmonds when a patient presented with 'fatal cachexia', although his patient went on to live for 11 more years. ^[1]^[2]

Symptoms

Although cachexia may be present, the disease is characterised by symptoms due to decreased gonadal, thyroidal and adrenal function. These include:

amenorrhoea or oligomenorrhoea, impotence, loss of libido
tiredness, hypotension
waxy skin, loss of body hair

See Hypopituitarism

References

^ Simmonds M, (1914) Dtsch. med. Wschr. 40, 322
^ synd/2008 at Who Named It

v • d • e Endocrine pathology: endocrine diseases (E00-35, 240-259)
Thyroid	Hypothyroidism (Iodine deficiency, Cretinism, Congenital hypothyroidism, Goitre, Myxedema) - Hyperthyroidism (Graves disease, Toxic multinodular goitre, Teratoma with thyroid tissue or Struma ovarii) - Thyroiditis (De Quervain's thyroiditis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Riedel's thyroiditis) - Euthyroid sick syndrome
Pancreas	Diabetes mellitus (type 1, type 2, coma, angiopathy, ketoacidosis, nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy) - Hypoglycemia - Hyperinsulinism - Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
Parathyroid	Hypoparathyroidism (Pseudohypoparathyroidism) - Hyperparathyroidism (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary)
Pituitary	Hyperpituitarism (Acromegaly, Hyperprolactinaemia, SIADH) - Hypopituitarism (Simmonds' disease/Sheehan's syndrome, Kallmann syndrome, Growth hormone deficiency, Diabetes insipidus) - Adiposogenital dystrophy - Empty sella syndrome
Adrenal	Cushing's syndrome (Nelson's syndrome, Pseudo-Cushing's syndrome) - CAH (due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency) - Hyperaldosteronism (Conn syndrome, Bartter syndrome) - Adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease) - Hypoaldosteronism
Gonads	ovarian dysfunction (Polycystic ovary syndrome, Premature ovarian failure) - testicular dysfunction (5-alpha-reductase deficiency) - general (Hypogonadism, Delayed puberty, Precocious puberty)
Other	Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome - Carcinoid syndrome - Short stature (Laron syndrome, Psychogenic dwarfism) - Gigantism - Androgen insensitivity syndrome - Progeria - Multiple endocrine neoplasia (1, 2)