It regulates thyroid, adrenocortical and gonadal activities, influences growth, sexual function, blood pressure, memory, sleep, water and food intake. If the pituitary is removed by surgery or it is destroyed by various diseases, the patients cannot survive for a long period of time. Fortunately, various natural and synthetic hormones are available to replace the missing products of the pituitary. Replacement therapy can maintain endocrine homeostasis and lead to a normal functional activity of the endocrine system. A large number of diseases may affect the pituitary, the most frequent are benign tumors or adenomas originating in the anterior lobe.
Pituitary adenomas arise in and consist of adenohypophysial cells.
These results indicate that in North American millions of adults harbor adenomas in their pituitaries. Most of these tumors are small, are unassociated with clinical symptoms and are usually of no significance. They may influence the activity of the endocrine system, they may interfere with the growth of the prostate, sleep, mental activity, mood, muscle function or appetite. Obviously, intensive research should be performed on these seemingly incidental pituitary tumors. Hypopituitarism can cause dwarfism, muscle weakness, low blood pressure, infertility, hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, hypocorticism and if severe and untreated, the demise of the patient.