Pituitary Gland Disorders

The pituitary gland is a small endocrine gland that is situated near the base of the skull, in a cavity known as sella turcica. The pituitary gland is a very important endocrine gland as it regulates the functioning of other endocrine glands in the body. However, sometimes, there are certain pituitary gland disorders that can lead to various problems in the entire body. Given below is a list of various disorders, their growth and their treatment.

Acromegaly
Acromegaly is a condition where the pituitary gland produces excess of growth hormone after the bones stop growing in length, that is, after the epiphyseal plate closes at puberty. There are many conditions that can lead to a spurt in the growth hormone production. This may occur due to a pituitary adenoma, which is a tumor of the pituitary gland. This condition is most commonly seen in adults, in their middle age. It can result in severe disfigurement due to increase in growth despite the closure of epiphyseal plates. The disease is hard to diagnose in its initial stages due to its slow progress. The symptoms of this condition include soft tissue swelling, brow protrusion, ocular distension, increase in the protrusion of the lower jaw, etc. Other acromegaly symptoms include hypertrichosis, hyperpigmentation and hyperhidrosis.

Diabetes Insipidus
Diabetes insipidus is a condition that is characterized by excessive thirst and excretion of large amounts of very diluted urine. Any change in the amount of fluid that is taken in does not affect the amount of urine produced. The urine output is regulated by the hypothalamus, which produces ADH, that is, the anti diuretic hormone. However, when there is decreased production of ADH, then there is excess of urination, which causes excess loss of water from the body. This leads to the vicious cycle of excess thirst leading to excess consumption of water and eventual excess urination.

Growth Hormone Deficiency
Human growth hormone deficiency is a condition where the body does not produce enough of growth hormone in the body. This can have different effects on the body depending on the age at which this condition occurs. If this is seen as one of the pituitary gland disorders in children, then stunted growth is mostly seen. If this is seen in newborns, then it could lead to hypoglycemia. This deficiency is rare in adults but may lead to lean body mass and poor bone density. Poor memory, asocial behavior and depression may also be seen.

Pituitary Adenoma
Pituitary adenomas are tumors that occur in the pituitary gland which account for 15% of intracranial neoplasms. There are many different types of adenomas, like corticotropic adenoma, somatotropic
adenoma, gonadotrophic adenoma, thyrotrophic adenoma and null cell adenoma. In this case, the pituitary gland disorder symptoms will depend on the region of pituitary gland affected, like a corticotropic adenoma will lead to Cushing's syndrome while a somatotropic adenoma will lead to acromegaly. The biggest risk that can occur with a pituitary adenoma is a pituitary apoplexy, that is infarction of hemorrhage of the pituitary gland.

Hypopituitarism
Hypopituitarism is the decreased secretion of one or more of the eight hormones that are produced by the pituitary gland. If there is decreased production of all the hormones, then it is known as panhypopituitarism. One of the most severe pituitary gland disorders in women, this condition is relatively rare but is even more difficult to diagnose in people who have suffered from a traumatic brain injury. In most cases, three or more hormones are deficient, of which follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone are most commonly involved. This leads to decreased mount of release of sex hormones, which in turn, causes delayed development of sex organs and secondary sexual characteristics in the body.

This was all about the various pituitary gland problems that can occur in the body. This is very serious condition that can lead to fatal changes in the body and hence, needs to be diagnosed and treated on a priority basis.