postpartum pituitary necrosis [L, post + partus + pituita, phlegm; Gk, nekros, dead, osis, condition] , an infarct of the pituitary resulting from hypovolemia and shock in the immediate postpartum period. The condition causes a state of hypopituitarism; lactation may not develop, pubic and axillary hair may be lost, and symptoms of hypoglycemia and amenorrhea are experienced. See also Sheehan’s syndrome.
