Pituitary damage an unexpected war wound

Evidence points to pituitary problems in victims of blast-related brain injuries — the defining wounds of the U.S.' recent wars.

By Alan Zarembo, LA Times
5:07 PM PDT, July 31, 2013

Months after Chuck Spires came home from Iraq, he began having dizzy spells and radical mood swings and had lost all interest in sex.

Army doctors diagnosed him with multiple brain injuries — he had endured several head-rattling bomb blasts — along with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

But it was another symptom, the sudden gain of 50 pounds, that led to deeper investigation.

Tests revealed damage to Spires' pituitary gland. It was a rare finding in the military, but that may be because few doctors have been looking for it.

Emerging evidence suggests that pituitary problems may be going undiagnosed in victims of blast-related brain injuries, the defining wounds of the recent wars.

(More here.)