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The pituitary gland or hypophysis is an endocrine gland in vertebrates. In humans , the pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain , protruding off the bottom of the hypothalamus . The human pituitary gland is oval shaped , about 1 cm in diameter, 0.5–1 gram (0.018–0.035 oz) in weight on average, and about the size of a kidney bean .
The anterior pituitary (also called the adenohypophysis or pars anterior) is a major organ of the endocrine system.The anterior pituitary is the glandular, anterior lobe that together with the (posterior pituitary, or the neurohypophysis) makes up the pituitary gland (hypophysis) which, in humans, is located at the base of the brain, protruding off the bottom of the hypothalamus.
[3] Several important structures are located adjacent to the optic chiasm. The supraclinoid branches of the internal carotid artery flank the chiasm. The cavernous sinuses are lateral and inferior to the chiasm. The frontal lobe of the brain lies above. The pituitary gland sits below in the sella turcica.
The pituitary gland is divided into three lobes: the anterior pituitary, the intermediate pituitary lobe, and the posterior pituitary. The hypothalamus controls the anterior pituitary's hormone secretion by sending releasing factors, called tropic hormones , down the hypothalamo-hypophysial portal system. [ 3 ]
Inferior petrosal sinus sampling (or IPSS), is a diagnostic medical procedure used to determine whether excess adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is coming from the pituitary gland (usually a pituitary adenoma causing Cushing's disease) or from a source outside the pituitary (a rare tumor causing ectopic ACTH syndrome). The procedure is usually ...
Empty sella syndrome is the condition when the pituitary gland shrinks or becomes flattened, filling the sella turcica with cerebrospinal fluid instead of the normal pituitary. [2] It can be discovered as part of the diagnostic workup of pituitary disorders, or as an incidental finding when imaging the brain.
Schematic of the HPA axis (CRH, corticotropin-releasing hormone; ACTH, adrenocorticotropic hormone) Hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal cortex The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPA axis or HTPA axis) is a complex set of direct influences and feedback interactions among three components: the hypothalamus (a part of the brain located below the thalamus), the pituitary gland (a ...
Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH), is due to problems with either the hypothalamus or pituitary gland affecting the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis). [1] Hypothalamic disorders result from a deficiency in the release of gonadotropic releasing hormone ( GnRH ), while pituitary gland disorders are due to a deficiency in the release ...