A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | M | P | R | S | T
ACTH
Adrenocorticotropic hormone. This hormone is produced by the pituitary gland and flows through the blood to the adrenal glands to tell them to produce more cortisol.
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Adenoma
A benign tumor or growth. A pituitary adenoma is not cancerous.
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Adrenal glands
Glands situated just above each of the kidneys and which produce various essential hormones including cortisol and aldosterone.
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Adrenalectomy
Surgical removal of the adrenal glands.
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ADH
Anti-diuretic hormone or vasopressin. This hormone is produced by the
pituitary and causes the kidneys to conserve body fluids.
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Agonist
An agonist is a molecule that triggers the same effects
and actions as a naturally occurring molecule or hormone. It stimulates or
activates cellular responses just like the natural hormone. For example,
a dopamine agonist causes the same effect on cells as dopamine itself by
binding to the same receptor on the surface of cells. This causes the cell
to respond in the same way as it would in the presence of the real hormone.
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Antidiuretic hormone (vasopressin)
The pituitary hormone that controls water balance.
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Bromocriptine
A drug of a type called dopamine agonists, which can be used to reduce prolactin production in people with prolactinomas. Its brand name is Parlodel and it is produced by Novartis
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Cabergoline
A drug of a type called dopamine agonists, which can be used to
reduce prolactin production for people with prolactinomas. Its brand name is
Dostinex and it is produced by Pfizer.
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Cortisol
One of the hormones produced by the adrenal glands. It is particularly important in times of stress and illness.
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Craniopharyngioma, Rathke’s cleft cyst
A problem that occurred during fetal development (in the womb) that may grow at any time in life;
not a cancer or brain tumor; often causes loss of pituitary function and may cause diabetes insipidus.
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CRH
Corticotropin-releasing hormone normally made by the hypothalamus to stimulate ACTH production. In synthetic form, used to test for pituitary-dependent Cushing's disease.
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Cushing's disease
Cushing's syndrome when caused by a tumour of the pituitary gland.
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Cushing's syndrome
Caused by overproduction of cortisol for any reason.
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Diabetes insipidus
A form of diabetes that results from water imbalance and is characterized by in frequent urination and excessive thirst.
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Dopamine agonists
Dopamine agonists such as bromocriptine (brand name Parlodel) and cabergoline
(brand name Dostinex) inhibit GH release from the tumor. They work by stimulating
natural receptorsof the hormone dopamine on the surface of the tumor. This
sends messages into the tumor cells to stop producing GH.
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Ectopic ACTH
Production of ACTH from a site other than the pituitary gland.
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Endocrine
Relating to hormone.
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Endocrine system
The body-wide system of hormone-producing glands, and the hormones they make, which control many aspects of life, including growth and reproduction.
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Endocrinologist
A doctor who specializes in treating hormone illnesses.
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Florinef
A medication that controls salt and water balance.
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Frequency of acromegaly
In every million people, three cases of acromegaly are diagnosed each year.
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FSH
Follicle-stimulating hormone. This is one of the two pituitary hormones
(with LH) that is released from the testes in men and the ovaries in women.
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Gigantism
Gigantism is a serious disorder where a person has grown very large and tall
due to excess secretion of growth hormone from the pituitary gland during childhood.
Heights of people suffering from this disorder can reach eight feet . For more
information on this condition please visit: http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=4914
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Growth hormone (GH)
As the name suggests, growth hormone (GH) stimulates physical growth in children.
It is a hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland and has widespread
effects on the body. After you have stopped growing at 17 or 18, the skeleton
changes and is no longer able to increase in height. However, growth hormone
still plays important roles in adulthood, such as maintaining muscle tone and
regulating metabolism, energy levels and psychological wellbeing.
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Hormone
A chemical substance produced by the endocrine glands of the body,
which works by sending messages through the bloodstream.
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Hormone therapy
Hormone therapy is the term used for any pharmaceutical/drug therapy given
to an individual to provide particular hormones that are missing or present
at an abnormally low level. If the pituitary gland is not functioning, specific
hormonal therapy will be prescribed to replace those hormones that the gland
would normally produce.
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Hydrocortisone
The drug name of cortisol when it is made into a tablet or injection.
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IGF-1
IGF-1 is a very important hormone involved
in growth and development, and it is made by many tissues in the body. IGF
stands for insulin-like growth factor but you will probably hear the hormone
referred to as “I-G-F-one”.
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LH
Luteinizing hormone. This hormone is produced by the pituitary and sends
messages to the reproductive organs (called gonads) – the ovaries in women and testes in men. In children, LH contributes to sexual development. In
women, it works together with FSH to control ovulation and is thus essential for a
normal menstrual cycle and for fertility. In men FSH stimulates the testes to produce sperm.
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MRI scan
Magnetic resonance imaging - a type of scan that produces a clear image and which is used to determine the size and location of the tumour.
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Oxytocin
Pituitary hormone that causes contraction of the uterus during labor.
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Pegvisomant
Pegvisomant is a growth hormone antagonist. It does not lower the level of
GH released from the tumor but it stops the hormone from acting on its targets
in various parts of the body. This then prevents the effects of too much GH,
such as overproduction of IGF-I. To do this pegvisomant binds to the natural
receptors for growth hormone and gets in the way of the hormone being able
to bind and send messages into cells. Imagine forcing the wrong key into a
lock; the correct key cannot then fit in, and the lock cannot be opened.
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Pergolide
A drug that is used to reduce prolactin production in people with
prolactinomas. Its brand name is Permax and it is produced by Eli Lilly.
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Pituitary gland
The pituitary gland is an important gland and it is often referred to as the
'master gland', because it controls several of the other hormone-producing
glands. It is usually about the size of a pea and is situated in a bony hollow
beneath the base of the brain and just behind the bridge of your nose. The
gland consists of two parts (often called lobes) each of which has different
functions. The pituitary gland is also sometimes called the hypophysis.
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PRL
Prolactin. This hormone is produced by the pituitary and is usually best
known as the ‘milk hormone’, because its main purpose is to stimulate the breasts to produce milk after childbirth. However, men and women produce prolactin all the time. Its purpose in men is unclear.
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Radiosurgery
Finely targeted radiation therapy using MRI to pinpoint the tumour.
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Radiotherapy
Radiation treatment, usually used after surgery, which prevents regrowth of the tumour. Radiotherapy has a long-acting effect and may cause reduction of some of the other pituitary hormones over time, thus requiring them to be replaced.
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Receptors
A receptor is a specialized protein on the surface
or interior of a cell that interacts only with very specific molecules in
the surrounding environment. Receptors enable molecules or drugs outside
cells to communicate a signal to the interior, causing a response within
that cell.
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Somatostatin analogues
These mimic a natural
hormone, called somatostatin, and latch onto the hormone’s
natural receptors on the surface of the tumor. When this ‘lock and key’ connection
is made specific signals are sent into the tumor cells to make them stop producing
GH.
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Thyroid
The thyroid is a gland that lies over the windpipe and just below the
larynx. It produces hormones which are essential to numerous body processes.
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TSH
Thyroid-stimulating hormone. A hormone produced by the pituitary, which
sends a message to the thyroid gland to increase or decrease its production of the hormone, thyroxine.
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Transsphenoidal surgery
A method of operating on the pituitary gland by
making an incision in front of the upper teeth and behind the upper lip, or
alternatively inside the nose. This allows the surgeon access to the pituitary via the sphenoid sinus and minimizes trauma to the patient.
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