Anatomy, Physiology, and Laboratory Evaluation of the Pituitary Gland.

Abstract

The pituitary gland functions prominently in the control of most endocrine systems in the body. Diverse processes such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, and water balance are tightly regulated by the pituitary in conjunction with the hypothalamus and various downstream endocrine organs. Benign tumors of the pituitary gland are the primary cause of pituitary pathology and can result in inappropriate secretion of pituitary hormones or loss of pituitary function. First-line management of clinically significant tumors often involves surgical resection. Understanding of normal pituitary physiology and basic testing strategies to assess for pituitary dysfunction should be familiar to any skull base surgeon.

• Authors: Gregory K Hong, Spencer C Payne, John A Jane Jr
• Journal: Otolaryngologic clinics of North America (Otolaryngol Clin North Am) Vol. 49 Issue 1 Pg. 21-32 (Feb 2016) ISSN: 1557-8259 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 26614827 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Pituitary Hormones

Topics

• Acromegaly (diagnosis)
• Diabetes Insipidus (diagnosis)
• Humans
• Hypopituitarism (diagnosis)
• Hypothalamus (physiology)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion (diagnosis)
• Pituitary Gland (anatomy & histology, physiology)
• Pituitary Hormones (metabolism)
• Prolactinoma (diagnosis)