Hypopituitarism, or underactive pituitary gland, occurs when the pituitary gland doesn’t produce enough hormones. It’s a rare medical disorder. The pituitary, located below the brain, is called the master gland because it helps control other glands that also produce hormones. These other glands include the thyroid, adrenals, and sex organs. This disorder can affect just one other gland, a number of others, or all others, with effects that may be gradual or sudden and dramatic. The pituitary is important for regulating water balance, blood pressure, sexual function, stress responses, and basic metabolism. In hypopituitarism, these hormone systems don’t work as well as they should.
The many causes include pituitary tumors or other brain tumors, brain infections, pituitary bleeding, trauma, pituitary surgery, stroke, congenital malformations, rare hereditary conditions, and radiation to the brain for tumors.
Some people have no symptoms until a stressful situation occurs. Others have symptoms that start suddenly. These symptoms include headache, blurred vision, and increased sensitivity to light with neck stiffness.
Symptoms depend on the organ system that is affected. An affected thyroid gland may cause you to feel weak and tired, become constipated, feel bloated, and gain weight. Affected ovaries may cause changes in periods, vaginal dryness, and painful intercourse. Affected testicles may cause problems in getting an erection. Affected adrenal glands may cause weakness, dizziness when standing, feeling sick to the stomach, and pain in the belly (abdomen). Children with hypopituitarism grow slowly.
The health care provider will ask questions and do a physical examination. The health care provider will take samples of blood and urine to measure hormone levels. The health care provider may also prescribe medicine to see whether these hormone levels change after taking medicine. A special imaging test called magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be done of the pituitary to look for abnormalities.
Treatment is based on the cause of the hypopituitarism. The health care provider will prescribe medicine to replace each hormone that the body doesn’t make. People with hypopituitarism may have to take medicine for the rest of their lives. Taking the medicine can stop the symptoms from happening again. Surgery may be necessary if abnormal growths in the pituitary gland or nearby tissues of the brain are causing hypopituitarism.
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Copyright © 2016 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc.
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