Abstract
Within the last years, a number of clinical studies have addressed the topic of hypothalamo-pituitary
dysfunction following traumatic brain injury (TBI) and aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
(SAH). Clinical studies oftentimes reflect the investigation of highly selective patient
groups, very standardized test procedures and may be influenced by a publication bias.
Epidemiological data on the prevalence and incidence of hypopituitarism after TBI
and SAH in the general population still do not exist. Moreover, very little is known
about risk factors and clinical characteristics of pituitary impairment after brain
damage. Epidemiologic surveys which aggregate information of many different treatment
centers become an increasingly important means of bridging the gap between standardized
study situations and clinical practice. Therefore, a multi-center, structured data
assessment to create a national registry of TBI and SAH patients has been established
in 2005. The Structured Data Assessment of Hypopituitarism after TBI and SAH is coordinated
by the Department of Endocrinology, Max-Planck-Institute in Munich with participation
of at present 13 neurosurgical, rehabilitation and endocrinological centers in Germany
and one Austrian center. Within this database, a large scope of very detailed, clinical,
endocrine and outcome information is collected. It also offers the possibility of
long-term follow up of the recorded patients. This is the first report of the registry
describing goals, organization, methodology, funding and the descriptive data of the
first 1 242 patients entered until November 20th, 2008.
Key words
traumatic brain injury - subarachnoid hemorrhage - hypopituitarism - growth hormone
deficiency - database
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Correspondence
I. Kreitschmann-AndermahrMD
Department of Neurosurgery
University of Technology
(RWTH) Aachen
Pauwelsstraße 30
52074 Aachen
Germany
Phone: +49/241/808 8483
Fax: +49/241/808 2564
Email: ikreitschmann-andermahr@ukaachen.de
