Understanding Pituitary Gland Disorders: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

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Pituitary Gland Disorders

by Alike Medical Team ∙ Updated on June 13, 2023

General

The Pituitary gland, or hypophysis, is a pea size organ located right below you brain. Its main job is to secrete different hormones to your blood- each group of cells secretes a different type of hormone. An abnormal growth of the pituitary gland can lead to a high or low level of hormones. Another effect of this overgrowth appears if it presses nearby parts of your brain and causes nerve damage, most commonly the one responsible for your vision. A Prolactinoma is the most common overgrowth of the pituitary. It secrets the hormone prolactin. This overgrowth is benign, not cancerous, but it can cause different symptoms

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Signs & symptoms

Other than vision problems, you may experience headaches, decreased sex drive (libido), and bone loss. In women, prolactinoma can cause irregular menstrual cycle, trouble getting pregnant and milky discharge from your nipples. In men, it can cause erectile dysfunction and decreased body hair growth.

Diagnosis

*Blood tests*- to measure hormone levels *Imaging- MRI of your brain*- to measure the size of the overgrowth

Treatment

The treatment for prolactinomas varies depending on their size and symptoms. *Medication* is normally the first choice of treatment. A prolactinoma is usually treated with Dopamine agonists. *Surgery* to remove the prolactinoma is needed if the medication causes Intolerable side effects, or the overgrowth is very large.

Note

☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

National Institutes of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ MedlinePluse ∙ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

☝ All information has been reviewed by certified physicians from Alike

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