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Pituitary Disorders
Introduction
Your pituitary gland is a small gland at the base of your brain. It makes hormones that
affect growth and the functions of other glands in the body. It also regulates the
amount of fluids your body retains. There are many disorders that can affect the
pituitary gland. With pituitary disorders, you often have too much or too little of one of
your hormones. Injuries can cause pituitary disorders. But the most common cause is a
pituitary tumor. Problems with the pituitary gland can cause many health problems.
This reference summary explains pituitary disorders. It covers common symptoms of
pituitary disorders, as well as treatment options for common disorders.
Anatomy of the Pituitary Gland
Glands are organs that make chemicals that the body needs to function normally. The
pituitary gland is a small gland at the base of the brain. It makes and stores many
different hormones.
The pituitary gland is inside the skull
and just above the nasal passages. It is
connected to a part of the brain called
the hypothalamus. Hormones are
substances released into the blood.
They help other organs to work
normally. The hypothalamus releases
hormones into blood vessels that are
connected to the pituitary gland. These
cause the pituitary gland to make its
own hormones.
Pituitary Gland
The pituitary gland is also called the master gland. It makes hormones that control
other glands and many body functions, including growth. The pituitary consists of the
anterior and posterior pituitary.
This document is for informational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a doctor or healthcare professional or a
recommendation for any particular treatment plan. Like any printed material, it may become out of date over time. It is important that you rely on the
advice of a doctor or a healthcare professional for your specific condition.
©1995-2017, The Patient Education Institute, Inc. www.X-Plain.com
Last reviewed: 03/06/2017
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The anterior pituitary is the front part of the pituitary. It makes hormones that affect:
• Growth.
• Sexual development.
• Skin pigmentation.
• Thyroid function.
The posterior pituitary is the back part of the pituitary. It
regulates how much fluid the body retains. Many
problems can happen if the pituitary gland makes either
too much or too little of certain hormones.
Pituitary disorders include:
• Hyperpituitarism.
• Hypopituitarism.
• Pituitary tumors.
Hyperpituitarism
Hyperpituitarism is when the pituitary gland overproduces, or makes too much of, a
certain hormone.
For example, if the front part of the pituitary gland overproduces, it could cause
overgrowth, or gigantism, in children. It can cause a condition called acromegaly in
adults. This causes body tissues to get larger
over time.
Hyperpituitarism can cause:
• Excessive hair growth in women.
• Large hands, feet, forehead and face.
• Skin discoloration.
• Tongue problems.
Other general symptoms of hyperpituitarism
include:
• Excessive sweating.
• Headache.
• Hoarseness.
• Vision problems.
This document is for informational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a doctor or healthcare professional or a
recommendation for any particular treatment plan. Like any printed material, it may become out of date over time. It is important that you rely on the
advice of a doctor or a healthcare professional for your specific condition.
©1995-2017, The Patient Education Institute, Inc. www.X-Plain.com
Last reviewed: 03/06/2017
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• Joint pain and muscle weakness.
• Milk secretion from the breast.
• Irregular or absent periods in
women.
• Numbness or skin tingling.
• Sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that
causes breathing pauses during sleep.
Talk to your health care provider if you
notice any of these symptoms or other
changes. Finding a problem early
makes treatment easier in most cases.
Endocrine or hormone function tests can help your health care provider diagnose a
pituitary gland disorder. These tests can measure the levels of hormones that the
gland makes. Blood and urine tests also can help your health care provider tell if your
body makes too much or too little of a certain hormone. Your health care provider may
refer you to an endocrinologist for more tests. An endocrinologist is a health care
provider who specialized in the endocrine or hormonal
system.
The most common cause of hyperpituitarism is a
pituitary tumor. These tumors are usually benign, or
noncancerous.
Treatment for hyperpituitarism may include:
• Medication.
• Surgery.
• Pituitary radiation.
• Gamma knife radiation treatment.
Pituitary radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink
tumors. Gamma rays are a type of high-energy radiation that can be focused on small
tumors in the head or neck. The gamma rays are aimed at the tumor from many
different angles at once. They deliver a large dose of radiation.
This document is for informational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a doctor or healthcare professional or a
recommendation for any particular treatment plan. Like any printed material, it may become out of date over time. It is important that you rely on the
advice of a doctor or a healthcare professional for your specific condition.
©1995-2017, The Patient Education Institute, Inc. www.X-Plain.com
Last reviewed: 03/06/2017
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Hypopituitarism
Hypopituitarism happens when the pituitary gland does not make enough of a certain
hormone. For example, if the anterior pituitary does not work well, it may cause slow
growth during childhood. Hypopituitarism can lead to diabetes insipidus when the
posterior pituitary gland is affected. This disorder causes the body to make too much
urine, which could lead to dehydration. Dehydration means your body does not have
enough water and fluids to be healthy.
Hypopituitarism is often progressive. The signs and symptoms can happen suddenly.
But they usually develop gradually. They are sometimes subtle and may be overlooked
for months or even years.
Signs and symptoms of hypopituitarism vary. They depend on which pituitary
hormones are deficient and how severe the deficiency is. Symptoms may include:
• Decreased sex drive.
• Fatigue.
• Sensitivity to cold or difficulty staying warm.
• Weight loss.
• Anemia.
• Decreased appetite.
• A puffy face.
• Infertility.
• Decreased facial or body hair in men.
• Hot flashes, irregular or no periods, loss of
pubic hair and inability to produce milk for
breast-feeding in women.
• Shortness in children.
Anemia is a condition in which the number of red
blood cells in the body is below normal.
Hypopituitarism can be caused by diseases or events that damage the pituitary, such
as:
• Brain or pituitary tumors.
• Brain surgery.
• Head injuries.
• Radiation treatment.
This document is for informational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a doctor or healthcare professional or a
recommendation for any particular treatment plan. Like any printed material, it may become out of date over time. It is important that you rely on the
advice of a doctor or a healthcare professional for your specific condition.
©1995-2017, The Patient Education Institute, Inc. www.X-Plain.com
Last reviewed: 03/06/2017
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The pituitary gland may also be damaged by:
• Autoimmune inflammation.
• Infections of the brain, such as meningitis.
• Stroke.
• Tuberculosis.
Meningitis is the inflammation of the layers of tissue
that cover the brain and spinal cord. It is usually
caused by a bacterial or viral infection. A stroke is
the loss of blood flow to part of the brain. This
damages brain tissue. Strokes are caused by blood
clots and broken blood vessels in the brain.
Tuberculosis is a disease caused by a specific type
of bacteria. Tuberculosis can affect many parts of
the body, but most often affects the lungs.
Other causes of pituitary gland damage include:
• Diseases of the hypothalamus.
• Genetic mutations.
• Severe blood loss during childbirth.
In some cases, the cause of hypopituitarism is unknown. Treating the condition that
causes hypopituitarism may help your body's production of pituitary hormones to return
to normal. Treatment with the right hormones is often the first treatment. The dosages
are set to match the amounts that your body would make if it didn't have a pituitary
problem. Treatment may be lifelong.
Pituitary Tumors
Almost all pituitary tumors are benign, or noncancerous. They usually don’t spread to
other parts of the body. But they can cause health problems because of their location
near the brain. They may also make extra hormones. Cancerous pituitary tumors are
rare. They can happen at any age. But they are most often found in older people.
Brain imaging can help your health care provider find a pituitary tumor or other
problem. Brain imaging tests include computerized tomography, or CT, scans and
magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scans.
This document is for informational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a doctor or healthcare professional or a
recommendation for any particular treatment plan. Like any printed material, it may become out of date over time. It is important that you rely on the
advice of a doctor or a healthcare professional for your specific condition.
©1995-2017, The Patient Education Institute, Inc. www.X-Plain.com
Last reviewed: 03/06/2017
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The cause of pituitary gland tumors is not known. Although pituitary tumors can
happen at any age, they are most likely to happen in older adults. People with a family
history of pituitary tumors are at an increased
risk.
Treatment for pituitary tumors may include:
• Removing the tumor.
• Controlling the tumors growth.
• Managing your hormone levels with
medications.
Your health care provider may recommend
watchful waiting, also known as observation. You
will need regular follow-up tests to monitor your
pituitary disorder. This may be an option if you
don’t have any symptoms.
Summary
Glands are organs that make chemicals that the body needs to function normally. The
pituitary gland is a small gland at the base of the brain. It makes hormones that control
other glands and many body functions, including growth.
Hyperpituitarism is when the pituitary gland
overproduces, or makes too much of, a certain hormone.
Hyperpituitarism can cause:
• Excessive hair growth in women.
• Large hands, feet, forehead and face.
• Skin discoloration.
• Tongue problems.
The most common cause of hyperpituitarism is a pituitary
tumor. These tumors are usually benign, or
noncancerous. Treatment for hyperpituitarism may
include:
• Medication.
• Surgery.
• Pituitary radiation.
• Gamma knife radiation treatment.
This document is for informational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a doctor or healthcare professional or a
recommendation for any particular treatment plan. Like any printed material, it may become out of date over time. It is important that you rely on the
advice of a doctor or a healthcare professional for your specific condition.
©1995-2017, The Patient Education Institute, Inc. www.X-Plain.com
Last reviewed: 03/06/2017
ecf80101
6
Hypopituitarism happens when the pituitary gland does not make enough of a certain
hormone. Hypopituitarism is often progressive. The signs and symptoms can happen
suddenly. But they usually develop gradually.
They are sometimes subtle and may be
overlooked for months or even years.
Treating the condition that causes
hypopituitarism may help your body's production
of pituitary hormones to return to normal.
Treatment with the right hormones is often the
first treatment. The dosages are set to match the
amounts that your body would make if it didn't
have a pituitary problem.
Almost all pituitary tumors are benign, or noncancerous. They usually don’t spread to
other parts of the body. But they can cause health problems because of their location
near the brain. They also may make extra hormones.
Treatment for pituitary tumors may include:
• Removing the tumor.
• Controlling the tumors growth.
• Managing your hormone levels with medications.
This document is for informational purposes and is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a doctor or healthcare professional or a
recommendation for any particular treatment plan. Like any printed material, it may become out of date over time. It is important that you rely on the
advice of a doctor or a healthcare professional for your specific condition.
©1995-2017, The Patient Education Institute, Inc. www.X-Plain.com
Last reviewed: 03/06/2017
ecf80101
7