Congenital panhypopituitarism of late onset.

A 29-year-old male was diagnosed congenital panhypopituitarism due to pituitary hypoplasia, absence of pituitary stalk and ectopic neurohypophysis. This report, together with bibliographic review, may induce to reconsidering isolated GH failures, partial hypopituitarisms and panhypopituitarisms which have up to now been interpreted as idiopathic. The availability of new image techniques has allowed a better definition of the anatomic substrate of these alterations, and more subtle hormonal studies have pointed out, in some cases, their possible hypothalamic origin. On this basis, some of these cases may be interpreted as presenting the same alteration as those described in necropsy of newborns dead due to severe panhypopituitarism. Therefore, a unique clinical picture with various degrees of severity may be postulated.