The improved management of pituitary adenomas has led to an increasing number of pregnancies in patients harboring pituitary adenomas. Therefore, adequate management of pregnant women with pituitary adenomas is of growing importance. Because pregnancy produces several physiologic changes to the endocrine system, especially to the pituitary gland, endocrinologists must be knowledgeable and skill...

Visit our website at: http://pituitary.mgh.harvard.edu On magnetic resonance imaging, some patients with clinical neuroendocrine disorders have thickened pituitary stalks, the anatomical structure which connects the hypothalamus to the pituitary (Figure 1). These disorders can be classified as neoplastic, inflammatory, or infectious in origin, although there are rare forms of congenital malform...

Hypothalamus, extensively connected with other brain regions, is the vital bridge between nervous system and endocrine system. It exerts its regulating function on endocrine system mainly via the pituitary, which is the central endocrine organ in vertebrate animals. Except the growth hormone, most of the hormones secreted by pituitary have their specific target organs. For example, thyrotropin ...

Pituitary apoplexy is a rare but potentially life-threatening clinical syndrome caused by the sudden enlargement of a pituitary adenoma secondary to hemorrhage or infarction. Pituitary apoplexy after cardiac surgery is a very rare perioperative complication. Factors associated with open heart surgery that may lead to pituitary apoplexy include hemodynamic instability during cardiopulmonary bypa...

Pituitary apoplexy is characterized by a wide spectrum of clinical features, not only in mode of presentation but also in outcome.'-3 We treated a patient with a previously undiagnosed pituitary tumour in whom spontaneous pituitary apoplexy occurred. Subsequently, impairments of both anterior and posterior pituitary function and transient resolving thyrotoxicosis secondary to painless (silent) ...

Pituitary tumors are rare in childhood and adolescence, with a reported prevalence of up to 1 per million children. Only 2-6% of surgically treated pituitary tumors occur in children, with some variation attributed to a lack of consensus for a pediatric age range and whether age at surgery or age at onset of symptoms was used. Although pituitary tumors in children are almost never malignant and...

Objectives Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response to stressors, but links to neurophysiological and neuroanatomical changes are unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine whether stress-induced cortisol alters negative feedback on pituitary corticotroph function and pituitary volume. Design Prospective controlled stu...

The complex range of pituitary regulatory mechanisms reviewed here underlies the critical function of the pituitary in sustaining all higher life forms. Thus, the ultimate net secretion of pituitary hormones is determined by signal integration from all three tiers of pituitary control. It is clear from our current knowledge that the trophic hormone cells of the anterior pituitary are uniquely s...

Pituitary adenomas can express and secrete different hormones. Expression of pituitary hormones in nonneoplastic pituitary cells is regulated by different transcription factors. Some pituitary adenomas show plurihormonal expression. The most commonly reported plurihormonal adenomas are composed of somatotrophs, lactotrophs, thyrotrophs and gonadotrophs. Pituitary adenomas composed of both corti...

The effects of adrenalectomy, ether-laparotomy stress and in vivo administration of either ACTH or dexamethasone on the cAMP levels in the anterior pituitary and the adrenal glands were investigated in male rats. After adrenalectomy or ether-laparotomy stress, an increase of the pituitary cAMP levels was observed. A prior administration of dexamethasone failed to inhibit the increase of the pit...