1. What are pituitary disorders?
2. Where is the pituitary gland located and what are its key functions?
3. What causes pituitary disorders?
4. What are the different types of anterior pituitary disorders?
5. What are the different types of posterior pituitary disorders?
7. What are pituitary tumours?
8. What is the prevalence of pituitary tumours?
9. What causes pituitary tumours? Are there any risk factors?
10. What are the signs and symptoms of pituitary adenomas?
11. Are pituitary tumours life-threatening?
12. What are the complications of pituitary tumours?
13. How are pituitary tumours diagnosed?
14. How are pituitary tumours treated?
15. How to cope with the side-effects of tumour treatment?
16. How to care and support a person with a pituitary tumour?
Pituitary disorders are a group of hormonal disorders that result from chemical imbalances and are caused due to the derangement or poor functioning of the pituitary gland.
The pituitary gland is a tiny pea-sized organ located at the base of the brain.
It is part of the endocrine system, that controls the proper functioning of different hormones in the body. It is commonly known as the ‘master gland’ as it makes and stores several hormones. These pituitary hormones control the activity of other hormones in the body.
The pituitary gland has 2 parts: the anterior (front) and the posterior (back) parts, each producing a different set of hormones. Each of these hormones acts on different parts of the body and controls their proper functioning (refer Table 1)
Table 1. Pituitary hormones and their functions
The most common causes of pituitary disorders include
Anterior pituitary disorders occur as a result of overproduction or underproduction of hormones secreted by the anterior lobes.
Disorders caused by over-production of anterior pituitary hormones
The disorders caused by overproduction of anterior pituitary hormones and their respective signs and symptoms are tabulated in Table 2. This Table also provides an overview of the diagnosis and management of these disorders.
Table 2. Disorders caused by over-production of anterior pituitary hormones
Disorders caused by under-secretion of anterior pituitary hormones
The disorders caused by under-secretion of anterior pituitary hormones and their respective signs and symptoms are tabulated in table 3. Table 3 also gives an overview of the diagnosis and management of hypopituitarism.
Table 3. Disorders caused by under-secretion of anterior pituitary hormones
Posterior pituitary disorders are caused by either under-production or overproduction of the ADH hormone. ADH helps the kidneys to prevent excess water loss through urine. Imbalance in ADH production can lead to the following disorders (table 4)
Table 4: Posterior pituitary disorders
Hypopituitarism is a condition that results in a partial or complete loss of the anterior pituitary gland functions. Panhypopituitarism is a condition, characterized by damage to the entire pituitary gland. In such cases, the production of all pituitary hormones stops.
Causes
The most common cause of hypopituitarism is the growth of a pituitary tumour. Other causes may include head injuries, brain surgery, medication, and radiation therapy, etc.
Signs and symptoms
Tumours may cause eyesight problems.
The symptoms of hypopituitarism depend upon the hormones which are no longer being produced by the gland and vary depending upon the age of the patients.
Diagnosis
The following tests may be done to establish the diagnosis
Management
Pituitary tumours are abnormal growths in the pituitary glands. They may cause overproduction or low levels of pituitary hormones. Most pituitary tumours are noncancerous growth and remain confined within the pituitary gland. These are known as an adenoma. Pituitary adenomas can be classified as 2 types based on their sizes
Pituitary carcinomas (cancers) are very rare and mostly affects the elderly population. Pituitary carcinomas can spread to the brain, spinal cord or the bone surrounding the pituitary glands. In some patients, the pituitary adenoma can turn cancerous and spread to other parts of the body.
A pituitary adenoma is the third largest cause of brain tumours, accounting for 10% of all cases. The global prevalence of pituitary adenomas is approximately 17%. Studies have reported the risk of pituitary tumours to increase with age, with maximum cases being diagnosed between 30 and 60 years.
The cause of pituitary adenoma remains unknown. Genetic alteration is thought to play an important role in adenoma development.
Studies have shown that people with certain genetic factors such as multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 1 (MEN 1) are at increased risk of pituitary tumours.
If diagnosed early, pituitary tumours can be managed well. However, if left undiagnosed and untreated for a long period, such tumours can become large and affect the functioning of several organs of the body, causing blindness, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease and death.
Evidence suggests the 5-year survival rate of pituitary gland tumours be about 82%. Survival rate also depends upon factors of
The complications of pituitary tumours include
Diagnosis can be confirmed with the help of the following tests
Not all pituitary tumours require treatment. The choice of treatment depends upon the following factors of
The treatment team usually consists of a brain surgeon (neurosurgeon), endocrine system specialist (endocrinologist) and a radiation oncologist. Doctors use a combination of surgery, radiation therapy and medications to normalize hormone levels.
Cancer treatment can be overwhelming in most patients. Here are a few tips which can help the patient to cope with the stress.
Physical side effects: Most cancer treatment is associated with serious long-term physical side-effects. It is advised to talk to the health care team openly regarding
Emotional and social effects: Some patients may experience anxiety, depression, fear, sadness, memory loss and difficulty to deal with stress. Others might limit their social life.
Family members and friends play an important role in providing both physical and emotional support to the patients. A caregiver can support a patient in several ways including,
Heart failure, also called congestive heart failure, is a condition that arises when the muscles…
Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty, or PTCA, is a minimally invasive surgery that opens blocked or…
Ankle ligaments are crucial cords that link foot bones to lower leg bones, ensuring stability…
Supermarkets today are flooded with a variety of cooking oils, each with different characteristics, such…
మాట్లాడటానికి, తినటానికి మరియు ముఖం అందంగా కనిపించటానికి నోరే కీలకం. శరీర పోషణకు అవసరమైన ఆహారం, పానీయాలు లోపలికి చేరేది…
అండాశయ తిత్తులు అనేవి అండాశయాల లోపల లేదా వాటి ఉపరితలంపై ద్రవంతో నిండిన సంచి లాంటి నిర్మాణాలు. ఆడవారికి రెండు…