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Pathophysiology: Anterior Pituitary Tumors

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Anterior pituitary gland disorders Pathophysiology
The anterior pituitary is the front portion of the pituitary gland which is a small gland in the head called the master gland. Certain hormones that are secreted by the anterior pituitary influence growth, sexual development, skin pigmentation, thyroid function, and adrenocortical function. The anterior pituitary gland is a major organ of the endocrine system. The anterior pituitary, is the glandular, anterior lobe that together with the posterior lobe (posterior pituitary, or the neurohypophysis) makes up the pituitary gland (hypophysis) (Oxford University Press, 2015). Some of the hormones that are secreted are growth hormone, luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotropic …show more content…

People with a family history of certain hereditary conditions, such as multiple endocrine neoplasia, type I (MEN I), have an increased risk of pituitary tumors. With MEN I, multiple tumors occur in various glands of the endocrine system and genetic testing is available for this disorder.
Clinical Manifestations, Medical management and complications

Clinical features

Presentation of pituitary disease, mostly associated with a space-occupying lesion, may result from:
1. Local mass effects- this often cause headaches, visual field defects (mostly typically bitemporal hemianopia or upper temporal quadrantanopia) and ocular nerve palsies.
2. Pituitary hormone deficits - producing wide-ranging effects as a result of single or multiple deficiencies, with growth hormone and gonadotropins (LH and FSH) usually affected first, followed much later by ACTH and TSH.
3. Pituitary hormone hypersecretion - usually arising as a consequence of neoplastic proliferation of particular cell types within the gland, producing complex and disabling syndromes such as Cushing’s disease or acromegaly (Lewis, 2011).

Diagnostic

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