top of page

Pituitary Physiology

ree
“Regulatory hormones of the pituiary gland” © Richard E. Jones, Kristin Lopez (Licensed under CC-BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Anterior Pituitary

Releases:

  • GH - promotes growth and metabolism

  • Prolactin - induces lactation

  • LH and FSH - stimulates gonads to produce sex hormones

  • TSH - stimulates TH production

  • ACTH - stimulates cortisol production


Its secretion is regulated by hypothalamic hormones, which travel to the pituitary via blood


Posterior Pituitary

Releases:

  • ADH - water excretion

  • Oxytocin - promotes uterine contraction and breastfeeding


Its secretion is regulated by hypothalamic hormones, which travel to the pituitary via nerve fibres.


Pituitary Disease

A tumour here is called a pituitary adenoma. This leads to excess production of specific hormones, leading to a Prolactinoma, Acromegaly, or Cushing’s syndrome, or SIADH.

ree
“T1-weighted post contrast coronal section of non-functioning pituitary adenoma. The tumour is seen extending into the right cavernous sinus. However the right ICA (internal carotid artery) is patent. The patient also complained of reduced eye vision.” © Cerevisae (Licensed under CC-BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/


The types of pituitary deficiencies here are:

  • Hypopituitarism

  • GH deficiency

  • Gonadotrophin (LH, FSH) deficiency

  • ADH deficiency (i.e. Central diabetes insipidus)

bottom of page