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There have only been thirty cases of total post-partum hypopituitarism published in the literature and these have nearly all been secondary to Sheehan's syndrome. The authors report a case of partial anterior hypopituitarism associated with diabetes insipidus which arose after an uneventful Caesarean operation and the origin of which seems to lie in auto-immune hypophysitis. The authors first describe the morphological and endocrine changes that the hypophysis undergoes during pregnancy and then point out that auto-immune hypophysitis seems to have been only recently recognised. This can be used to explain some cases of post-partum hypophyseal insufficiency occurring almost silently without any history of third haemorrhage. Research has been made systematically for anti-hypophyseal antibodies and for specific antibodies of the organ, but has not always been positive. So the diagnosis of auto-immune hypophysitis is often made only after eliminating other reasons for it. A brief review of the physiopathological mechanisms of diabetes insipidus makes it possible to suggest that vasopressinase coming from the placenta together with prostaglandins could play a role.

Pregnancy is an aggravating factor for brain tumours on which it acts by three mechanism: acceleration of tumour growth, increase of peritumoral oedema and the immunotolerance to foreign tissue antigens that is proper to pregnancy. Histologically, the brain tumour most frequently encountered is glioma, usually revealed during the third trimester. Brain tumours is pregnant women have no special clinical features, and their diagnosis rests on computerized tomography or nuclear magnetic resonance completed, if required, by stereotactic biopsy. Following a review of the literature, the authors present an updated description of the neurological and obstetrical actions to be taken, illustrated by a report of eight personal cases. The indications for surgery depend on the site and histological nature of the tumour. As regards obstetrical measures, induced therapeutic abortion and caesarean section, no longer routinely performed, are now being replaced by vaginal delivery with systematic instrumental extraction. In both mother and foetus the prognosis has improved over the last ten year, but it remains very sombre.

During pregnancy 50% of all cases with a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt malfunction. This is because of anatomo-physiological changes associated with the pregnant state, and shows itself as a rise in intracranial tension. There were no acute neurological complications at term; with the malfunction of the shunt distally, vaginal delivery is preferable. It is not necessary routinely to carry out instrumental delivery.

Haemorrhagic cerebral accidents are the commonest neurosurgical diagnoses made in pregnancy. The state of pregnancy makes it more likely that an arterial or an arteriovenous aneurysm will rupture and this is the principal cause of most haemorrhages. They occur more often in primiparae in the third trimester of pregnancy. The clinical picture is classical. The conformation of the diagnosis is made by scanning and angiography. The main differential diagnosis is eclampsia. Neurosurgical treatment should be carried out immediately whenever possible in order to avoid the two great risks that follow, namely recurrence of haemorrhage and secondly ischaemia. As far as the obstetric side is concerned, Caesarean section would only be indicated if: the clinical state of the mother is severe with coma and brain stem damage when the child is viable, if there is symptomatic vascular malformation diagnosed at term, if there is haemorrhagic arteriovenous malformation which is highly liable to occur and cannot be operated on without risks for the child if viable, if, finally, the interval between the surgical treatment of the condition and labour is less than 8 days. In all other cases a vaginal delivery is preferable under epidural anaesthetic which should be given if medical induction is carried out, and where instrumental delivery is being carried out systematically, unless radical treatment is being performed. The prognosis which is, in spite of all steps that may be taken, poor, depends on the initial neurosurgical stage and the nature of the causes of lesion and the possibilities of treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The anaesthetic management of pregnant women who suffered from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was reviewed retrospectively. During the ten-year period studied, there were nineteen pregnancies in eighteen women (mean age 27 years) who had either SLE or an isolated lupus type anticoagulant (LAF). Four pregnancies were stopped before the third trimester, two spontaneously, and the other two because of the mother's condition. Of the fifteen remaining pregnancies, eight children were born with a weight less than 2,500 g. One child, birth weight 750 g, died after three days. None of the fourteen living children had neonatal lupus. Six epidural and twelve general anaesthetics were carried out for four abortions, nine Caesarian sections, and five deliveries. Epidural anaesthesia was often contraindicated by neurological and haemostatic complications of the SLE: recent meningitis, thrombocytopaenia, prolonged bleeding, anticoagulant therapy. In fact, management of SLE patients required extensive preanaesthetic clinical and paraclinical assessment, as all the systems may be involved in this condition; moreover, it may worsen during pregnancy (seven times in this series). The most frequent complications were cardiovascular, renal, and haematological. Possible intubation difficulties must also be looked for. A LAF was associated with a great number of venous thromboses. An isolated LAF does not contraindicate epidural anaesthesia, as long as there is no associated haemostatic defect, such as a thrombocytopaenia. Furthermore, the patient should not have had prolonged episodes of unexplained bleeding, or require anticoagulants. In the present series, epidural anaesthesia was contraindicated in three of the four patients with LAF. Finally, prevention of thromboembolism, postoperative infection and adrenal failure (in those patients with long-term steroid therapy) must be carried out.