Hypopituitarism

Hypopituitarism is reduced secretion of one or more hormones by the pituitary gland because of impaired pituitary function. It may affect a single hormone or several.

Pituitary gland: An endocrine gland at the base of the brain that produces hormones regulating growth, reproduction, water balance, and other glands. Its anterior and posterior lobes are the source of the hormone deficits in hypopituitarism.
Growth hormone deficiency: A condition in which the body produces too little growth hormone for normal growth and metabolism. Loss of pituitary growth hormone can cause this specific form of hypopituitarism.
Pituitary adenoma: A usually benign tumor arising from hormone-producing cells of the pituitary gland. Adenomas can compress normal pituitary tissue or require treatment that reduces its function.
Pituitary function tests: Blood tests and stimulation or suppression procedures used to assess pituitary hormone secretion. Testing identifies which pituitary-controlled hormone axes are deficient.
Adrenal crisis: A life-threatening state of severe cortisol deficiency causing circulatory and metabolic instability. Untreated ACTH deficiency can become an emergency during illness, injury, or surgery.
Hypothalamus: A brain region that regulates the pituitary through releasing hormones, inhibiting hormones, and neural signals. Damage to hypothalamic signals can reduce pituitary hormone output even when pituitary tissue remains intact.
Central hypothyroidism: Insufficient thyroid hormone production caused by inadequate pituitary or hypothalamic stimulation of the thyroid. Low pituitary thyrotropin can reduce thyroid hormone despite an otherwise functional thyroid gland.
Sheehan syndrome: Postpartum pituitary injury caused by severe blood loss and inadequate blood supply during or after childbirth. It is a classic cause of pituitary hormone deficiency after obstetric hemorrhage.
Insulin tolerance test: A supervised test that induces low blood glucose to assess growth hormone and cortisol responses. It can evaluate pituitary reserve when routine hormone measurements are inconclusive.
Hyponatremia: A low concentration of sodium in the blood. Cortisol deficiency and impaired water regulation can contribute to low blood sodium.

Linked from 7 pages