Clinical Note, Pituitary Disorders Flashcards
What are the main cause of pituitary disorders?
non-cancerous pituitary tumours
what do pituitary tumours do?
cause the body to make too much or too little of a hormone, leading to a disorder such as acromegaly
What causes hypersecretion or hyposecretion of a pituitary hormone?
secretory tumours
non-secretory tumours
do not affect hormone production. press on the pituitary gland and other brain structures, causing headaches and vision problems
other common causes of pituitary disorders include…
head injuries, bleeding in or near the pituitary gland and some medications/ cancer treatments
what are some common conditions that are associated with pituitary disorders?
acromegaly - growth hormone
growth hormone deficiency
cushing’s disease/ syndrome - ACTH
prolactinoma - prolactin
Rathke’s cleft cyst - can affect all hormone levels associated with the pituitary gland
What does prolactin stimulate?
mammary gland development
What does prolactin do in pregnancy?
initiates and maintains milk production by mammary glands
what are the other roles of prolactin?
it can also play a role in energy production, fertility and sexual desire
what is prolactinoma?
hypersecretion of prolactin due to a pituitary adenoma
What helps to control prolactin levels and shrink tumours over time?
medicines called dopamine agonists
what do dopamine agonists do?
these drugs mimic the effects of the brain chemical dopamine
