Pituitary Hormones, GH

Question 1

What is important to to determine if there is an imbalance in hormones controlled by the pituitary?

Answer 1

the source,

whether in the pituitary gland, hypothalamus or target gland

Question 1

What is the most common cause of pituitary disorders?

Answer 1

benign adenomas = two grapes of manifestations

• effect of mass as it enlarges and causes pressure on skull
• effect of tumor on hormone secretion

Question 2

Signs of pressure on the brain tissue include:

Answer 2

increasing headaches
seizures
drowsiness
visual defects - hemianopsia (pa on adjacent optic chasm)

Question 3

What does the effect of the tumour/adenoma on hormone secretion depend on?

Answer 3

specific cells in the pituitary involved and their location
e.g. GH produced in cells in anterior wings of the gland
prolactin produced in cells scattered though out gland

Question 4

What effects does the adenoma/tumour have on hormone secretion?

Answer 4

-secrete excessive amounts particular hormone (somatotropic cells secrete G, could be ACTH or Prolactin)

• more than one hormone is secreted
• adenoma may destroy area of pituitary cells = deficit particular hormone (e.g. decreased ACTH = decreased adrenal cortex activity)
• some haemorrhage / infarction = sudden ^ICP and destroy part of pituitary (pituitary apoplexy)

-untreated adenomas eventually destroy all types of cells = panhypopituitarism (diminution or cessation of pituitary function = loss gondola function and degrading of thyroidal and adrenal function)

Question 5

What % of intra cranial tumors do pituitary adenomas make up for?

Answer 5

more than 10%

Question 6

What age do pituitary adenomas usually occur in?

Answer 6

30 to 50 years

Question 7

How are pituitary adenomas usually removed? What is necessary after this therapy?

Answer 7

surgery
radiation therapy

hormone replacement

Question 8

What may dwarfism/short stature be caused by?

Answer 8

deficit GH, somatropin, or somatropin releasing
some cases pituitary adenomas, other types of pituitary
cells are also affected = multiple deficits

hormone

Question 9

What may gigantism/tall stature be caused by?

Answer 9

excess GH before puberty and before fusion of epiphyses

Question 10

A pituitary dwarf usually presents with…

Answer 10

normal intelligence
normal body proportions
some delay in skeletal maturation and puberty

Question 11

Tx; GH deficiency:

Answer 11

replacement therapy before closure of epiphyses