What is pituitary gland?

Pituitary gland is a very small gland situated in the brain. It is also known as “master gland of the body”, because it secretes hormones which affect almost all endocrine glands of the body. Hence, it has a control over all major endocrine glands of the body. Pituitary gland is divided into 2 parts: Anterior and posterior pituitary gland.

Which are the hormones secreted by pituitary gland?

Anterior pituitary gland secretes ACTH (Adrenopcorticotropin hormone), TSH (Thyroid stimulating hormone), FSH (Follical stimulating hormone), LH (Leutinizing hormone), GH (Growth hormone) and PRL (prolactin). Posterior pituitary gland secretes Oxytocin and ADH (Vasopressin) hormones.

What are the functions of all these hormones?

(a) ACTH: Stimulates production of Cortisol from the adrenal glands.

(b) TSH: Stimulates production of T3 and T4 from thyroid gland

(c) FSH: Stimulates production of estrogen from the ovaries (required for breast development and menstruation), stimulates growth of a follicle inside ovaries

(d) LH: Required for ovulation

(e) GH: Growth of a child and has an important role in metabolism of carbohydrate, protein and fat

(f) PRL: Required for lactation (stimulates breast milk formation)

(g) Oxytocin: Milk ejection reflex (required for ejection of the milk from the glands inside breasts)

(h) ADH: Maintains osmolarity of serum within a particular range. It regulates (limits) free water excretion via urination.

What are the different pituitary disorders?

(a) Cushing syndrome: Excess of cortisol hormone (because of an ACTH producing pituitary adenoma

(b) Acromegaly: Excess of GH because of an GH producing pituitary adenoma

(c) Prolactinoma: Excess of PRL because of an PRL producing pituitary adenoma

(d) Gonadotropinoma: Excess of FSH/LH because of an FSH/LH producing pituitary adenoma.

(e) NFPA: Non functional pituitary adenoma

(f) Hypopituitarism: Isolated hormone deficiency (GH deficiency, FSH/LH deficiency, ACTH deficiency, TSH deficiency) or more commonly combine pituitary hormone -deficiency (combination of various pituitary hormone deficiencies) leading to short stature/delayed puberty in children and hypogonadism/infertility in adults.

(g) Pituitary metastasis/carcinoma

(h) Infections/infiltrative lesions (e.g. tuberculosis, langerhans cell granulomatosis)

(i) Lymphocytic hypophysitis (LYH)