Clinical Features of Hypopituitarism (2) Symptoms and signs vary widely, but early symptoms of hypopituitarism relate mostly to hypogonadism in both sexes. Most patients with hypopituitarism, even in the advanced stage, are well nourished; however, severe prolonged hypopituitarism can produce extreme weight loss and an appearance of malnutrition (‘pituitary cachexia’) which may be clinically indistinguishable from anorexia nervosa. In advanced hypopituitarism collapse, coma, or even death is possible due to a combination of hypoglycaemia, hypothyroidism, hypothermia and hypotension.