The Pituitary Gland In The Brain

5. It is expected that after his transsphenoidal hypophysectomy, all of B.J.’s anterior pituitary hormones will be deficient (panhypopituitarism). What type of hormone replacement will be needed?

There are many ways to treat this condition. Treatment can depend on the size, location, and stage of the tumor. Often, more than one type of treatment is used. Treatment may include:

Surgery offers the best chance of a cure. A neuro-endocrinologist is needed to properly diagnose the condition while a neurosurgeon is needed to perform the surgery. Since the pituitary gland sits inferior to the hypothalamus of the brain, precision in microsurgery is highly necessary. Unfortunately, pituitary adenomas that invade the sella turcica of the brain lower the chances of a successful surgery. Undergoing surgery is always a risk, but this treatment provides the best chances for survival. Medications are also offered as a course of treatment, although proven with a lower success rate. Physicians prescribe monthly injections of somatostatin to help suppress the overproduction of the growth hormone. Although this poses less of a risk than surgery, a reported 70% of patients had an actual decrease in GH hormone. A consequence of using this method is a heavy reliance on drugs for an unforeseeable amount of time. Drugs are often costly so this can pose a problem as well. Radiation therapy is used when all other options have failed. A dose of radiation is targeted on the tumor and the surrounding brain structures are typically left unaffected. 18 months are needed to see a substantial reduction in growth hormone output. Consequences of radiation treatment are delayed pituitary failure, learning disabilities, obesity, and emotional changes (Kleinberg,

This pituitary tumor can also be referred to as a pituitary adenoma, and they are most often benign. This form of Cushing’s syndrome is more common in women and is the most common form of endogenous Cushing’s disease. The tumor of the pituitary gland secretes overly large amounts of ACTH, which then stimulates the adrenal glands to produce and secrete more cortisol than necessary. Another tumor-related cause of Cushing’s syndrome is when a tumor forms on an organ that does not usually produce ACTH. The tumor produces and secretes excess ACTH which then leads to the overproduction of cortisol. These tumors are called ectopic ACTH-secreting tumors, and they can be malignant or benign. Ectopic ACTH-secreting tumors are commonly found in the pancreas, thyroid, thymus gland, and lungs.

Six different hormones produced by the anterior lobe will be studied here. Three of these have direct effects on the body, the other three control other glands.

There is no cure for these syndromes. Treatment will first focus on treating whatever cancer you have. Then, treatment will focus on helping your immune system lower its response to the tumor. This may be done with:

The most common and popular treatments include radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery. B. Sub Point Actually, there are some curious and unknown treatments such as being positive, taking one aspirin per day, eating broccoli and shark’s cartilage, receiving Hyperthermia, drinking green tea, drinking oily fish, etc. Transition: Even though, there are all these effective treatments for this disease.

Other health problems, like diabetes and infections, can reduce the life expectancy of canines with Cushings Disease. Other health problems like tumors that spread from the pituitary gland into the brain or blood clots in the lungs can also appear not long after a dog starts treatment for this disease. When health problems like these arise, the owner of the dog must decide whether it is a good idea to put their dog to sleep or

A collection of neurons and supportive tissue running from the base of the brain down the center of the back, protected by a column of bones (the spinal column)

The case is about the same with thyroid hormones. The hypothalamus is apart of the brain that produces thyroid-releasing hormones. This hormone pairs with what is known as our pituitary gland to begin the production of a thyroid-stimulating hormone. This pairing up acts on the thyroid in order to produce thyroid hormones, which travel through our bodies.

There are numerous neurological changes occurring in our body as a response to fear. Specifically, two pathways are activated: the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic- pituitary- adrenal pathway. In a similar way, both pathways commence by receiving messages from the hypothalamus, an area of the brain responsible for many functions in the body, such as activating the autonomic nervous system, controlling different organs, and managing physiological functions. If the hypothalamus emits messages that we are facing a threatening situation, it will release different chemicals to either the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic- pituitary- adrenal pathway. This sympathetic nervous system are “nerve fibers of the autonomic

According to Shier, Butler & Lewis (2009) “other glands that produce hormones and thus are parts of the endocrine system include the pineal gland and the thymus gland”. Shier et al., 2009 argued the pineal gland, located deep between the cerebral hemispheres, secretes hormone melatonin that acts on certain brain regions that function as a biological clock. The changing levels of melatonin across 24 hours enable the body to know when day is and when is night.

It is very hard to diagnose, but once it's detected, there are quite a few treatments that are available. Keep in mind that this all depends on the stage that this disease has reached in your body. Most of the treatments that are available destroy the bad cells, which are the malignant cells, and keep the healthy ones. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy

If possible, surgery may be necessary to remove the pituitary tumor. After surgery, the pituitary gland may slowly start to work again and return to normal. Radiation therapy of the pituitary gland may also be used if the tumor is not completely removed. If these treatments are not successful, the adrenal glands may need to be removed to stop the high levels of cortisol from being produced, in Cushing’s Disease. (Wisse, 2013)

The pituitary gland is composed of three lobes: Anterior, intermediate (smallest) and posterior (see the figure on the right)