hormonal and metabolic disorders
Hypopituitarism
Introduction
Hypopituitarism is an underactive pituitary gland that results in deficiency of one or more pituitary hormones. Symptoms of hypopituitarism depend on what hormone is deficient and may include short height, infertility, intolerance to cold, fatigue, and an inability to produce breast milk. The diagnosis is based on measuring the blood levels of hormones produced by the pituitary gland and on imaging tests done on the pituitary gland. Treatment focuses on replacing deficient hormones with synthetic ones but sometimes includes surgical removal or irradiation of any pituitary tumors. The pituitary is a pea-sized gland at the base of the brain. It secretes a number of hormones that control the function of most other endocrine glands. (See also Overview of the Pituitary Gland .) 