Pituitary Gland Problems

Pituitary gland is a small pea sized gland situated in the hollow of your nose, behind the nose bridge. It is attached to the hypothalamus by means of a small, thin stalk. Hypothalamus is situated at the base of the brain and is responsible for controlling the secretion of pituitary gland. This gland is rightly called the master gland, since it is responsible for controlling the functions of other glands as well. Malfunctioning of the pituitary gland can play havoc in the body as it also controls the secretion of the other glands of the body. This leads to hormone imbalance in the body. One of the major problems with the pituitary gland is the development of tumors.

Pituitary Gland Problems

Tumors
When the cells grow in an uncontrolled manner, they lead to formation of tumors. Benign tumor are the tumors which are harmless as they do not spread to other parts of the body, whereas malignant tumors are cancerous as they invade other cells and destroy them. Pituitary gland tumors are mostly benign in nature. In 50% of the cases, the tumors are non functional and go undetected for a very long time. However, functional tumors can be particularly harmful, as they are mostly of secretory nature. Meaning, they secrete some or the other hormone. Needless to say, over secretion of any hormone can lead to several complications. For instance, over secretion of thyroid hormone disrupts the metabolic activities of the body, whereas, over secretion of the adrenal hormone results in adrenal disorders. Similarly, tumors in ovaries or testes disturb the balance of sex hormones and may result in infertility.

Craniopharyngioma
This is a congenital condition, meaning it is present from birth. In this condition, the cystic mass exerts pressure on the hypothalamus, causing it to lose control over the secretion of pituitary gland. A fast growing cystic mass is mostly found in children whereas a slow growing cystic mass is more prevalent in adults. This is one of the common problems in children, as it interferes with the human growth hormone (HGH), affecting the onset of puberty in children. Symptoms of craniopharyngioma are blurred vision, headaches and disruption of hunger and thirst pattern.

Rathkes Cleft Cyst
The pituitary gland forms through Rathkes pouch, which then closes itself in the fetal stage itself. The remnant of this pouch remains in the pituitary gland for the lifetime. However, sometimes, this remnant is filled with fluid, resulting in the formation of cyst called Rathkes Cleft Cyst (RCC). This condition mostly affects adults rather than children.

Sheehan's Syndrome
This disorder results due to severe uterine hemorrhage during childbirth. The excessive blood loss due to hemorrhage, deprives the pituitary gland of blood supply. This may damage the pituitary function and lead to hypopituitarism. Multiple pregnancies or placental abnormalities are mainly responsible for this condition.

Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia
This is a genetic disorder that affects only men and runs in the family. The disorder stimulates the formation of tumors in any one of the endocrine system's glands in the body.

Since there are no specific symptoms, most of the problems associated with pituitary gland go undetected for a very long time. They are only detected by accident while diagnosing some other problems. Surgery, radiotherapy, and medical therapy are some of the solutions to problems of the pituitary gland.