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Pituitary Conditions

Pituitary Conditions
Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment
Living with a Pituitary Condition
Healthcare Professionals
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  • Pituitary Conditions
  • Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment
  • Living with a Pituitary Condition
  • Healthcare Professionals

Pituitary conditions

Pituitary disorders are considered rare. It is estimated that there are around 70,000 pituitary patients in the United Kingdom. Some conditions are more common than others. You can find out more by clicking the conditions below.

Acromegaly
Acromegaly is a hormonal disorder that results from too much Growth Hormone in the body. It can cause parts of the body to grow abnormally.
Adrenal Insufficiency
Adrenal Insufficiency is the failure of the adrenal glands to function properly. This can result in a lack or cortisol and aldosterone.
Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency
Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency is usually caused by damage to the pituitary gland or the hypothalamus.
AVP Deficiency (Diabetes Insipidus)
Arginine Vasopressin Deficiency (AVP-D), formerly known as Cranial Diabetes insipidus (DI), is caused by a problem with either the production, or action, of the hormone vasopressin (AVP). If you have DI your kidneys are unable to retain water.
Craniopharyngioma
Craniopharyngiomas are very rare benign (non-cancerous) tumours, which can affect hormone production.
Cushing’s Disease
Cushing's disease is a condition caused by having too much of a hormone called cortisol in your body. It can be serious if it's not treated. Symptoms usually develop gradually and so the diagnosis may not be clear for some time.
Empty Sella Syndrome
Empty Sella Syndrome is a condition where the bony cup the pituitary gland sits in (the sella turcica) appears empty when scanned. The pituitary gland may appear flattened or shrunken. Many people have no symptoms, whilst others require hormone replacement therapy.
Hypopituitarism
The pituitary gland produces a number of hormones or chemicals which control other glands throughout the body. If the pituitary is not producing one or more of these hormones, or not producing enough, then this condition is known as hypopituitarism.
Nelson’s Syndrome
Nelson’s syndrome is the term used to describe an enlargement of an adrenocorticotropic hormone-producing tumour in the pituitary gland, following surgical removal of both adrenal glands in a patient with Cushing’s disease.
Non-functioning Tumour
This is by far the most common type of tumour of the pituitary gland (about half of all cases) is the 'non-functioning' tumour. This is a tumour which does not produce any hormones itself.
Pituitary Apoplexy
Pituitary apoplexy is caused by either death of an area of tissue or a haemorrhage in the pituitary gland. It is usually associated with the presence of a pituitary tumour.
Prolactinoma
A prolactinoma is a prolactin-producing tumour of the pituitary gland. The symptoms produced by a prolactinoma depend on the sex of the patient and the size of the tumour.
Rathke’s Cleft Cyst
Rathke’s cleft cysts are rare, benign, non-cancerous lesions. They are often found incidentally and the majority do not need intervention. Medical and surgical management is an option for larger lesions that are causing symptoms with overall good outcomes.
Septo-Optic Dysplasia
Septo-Optic Dysplasia is a rare condition affecting both children and adults
Sheehans Syndrome
Sheehan’s Syndrome is also known as postpartum hypopituitarism, or postpartum pituitary insufficiency and may occur in a woman who has severe uterine haemorrhage or extremely low blood pressure during child birth.