Table 1.

Endocrinopathies in the postpartum period.

Endocrinopathy	Comments
Postpartum Addison’s disease (1–7)	It is a rare disease. Its diagnosis can be overlooked during pregnancy and after parturition. Indeed, fatigue, anorexia, vomiting, and hyperpigmentation can be easily confused with similar symptoms that occur frequently during gestation and/or postpartum. Because unrecognized, acute, and frequently fatal addisonian crises may occur in the postpartum period
Hypopituitarism [Postpartum lymphocytic hypophysitis (PPLH) and Sheehan’s syndrome] (8–20)	PPHL or autoimmune hypophysitis is mostly observed in women during pregnancy or after delivery, though it may also occur in males and children. PPLH is frequently associated with autoimmune diseases, particularly with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
	Either PPLH or the non-autoimmune postpartum pituitary gland ischemic necrosis (Sheehan’s syndrome) can be associated with postpartum thyroiditis (PPT)
Non-autoimmune thyroiditis (21–27)	This form of thyroiditis is far less frequent than PPT
	Infective forms of thyroiditis with subacute or acute course have been reported in the postpartum setting caused by Brucella melitensis or Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The symptoms reproduce a thyrotoxic picture (nervousness, palpitations, and loss of weight) with moderately painful goiter and fever (37.5°C). It is important to emphasize that in some cases inflammatory changes seen in subacute thyroiditis can obscure sonographic evidence of underlying papillary thyroid cancer. Also, a clinical picture of painful thyroid enlargement, even with fever, and local mechanical complications can be due to intrathyroid hemorrhages