Abstract
Aim of our work was to determine whether chronic subdural haematoma, as specific type of traumatic brain injury, is associated with a risk of developing hypopituitarism as well. In a prospective study, pituitary functions in a cohort of 49 patients after surgery for chronic subdural haematoma, were evaluated.
Patients were tested soon after surgery, in 3 and 12 months thereafter. Gonadotropic axis was impaired in 9 patients (25,7 %) in acute phase and reamained impaired in 3 (12 %) after 12 months.
Growth hormone deficiency was present in 23 (46,9 %) patients during the acute phase and in 15 (46,9 %) patients in evaluation 12 months after the surgery. Serious hormonal deficiencies due to impairment of the most important axes (HPA a thyrotropic) were not proved in our patients.
In second part of our work the reliability of cortisol simultaneously measurements in serum and saliva during the stimulation test with ACTH was evaluated. Serum cortisol proved to be more reliable due to its significantly higher variability in comparison to the salivary cortisol.
Regardless of the statistical significance of the difference the salivary cortisol measurement is an acceptable method for clinical practice.