Pituitary Disorders
Accurate diagnosis and treatment of pituitary gland disorders to restore hormonal balance.
What are the hormones dose pituitary gland produces?
The pituitary gland is an endocrine gland (aka master switch) nestled in the bony structure behind the bridge of your nose. It is attached to your brain via blood vessels and nerve endings.
The pituitary gland secretes the following hormones:
- Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)
- Growth hormone
- Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
- Prolactin
Is a pituitary tumor a brain tumor?
A pituitary tumor is NOT considered a brain tumor as the pituitary gland is not a part of the brain. The pituitary gland is located within the skull bone at the base of the brain.
What are the most common pituitary disorders?
The most common pituitary disorder includes benign pituitary nodule/tumors. There are two types of pituitary tumors:
Nonfunctional pituitary tumors
These are nonfunctional pituitary tumors; it usually doesn’t cause problems. However, if a nonfunctional tumor grows large enough, it can cause vision problems, headache, and pituitary hormone deficiencies.
Functional pituitary tumors
Functional tumors of the pituitary actively produce one or more hormones. These are the common issues caused by functional tumors include:
- Prolactinomas, due to excessive prolactin
- Cushing syndrome, due to excessive cortisol
- Acromegaly, due to excessive growth hormone