Conditions of the Pituitary Gland

Flashcards covering various conditions related to the pituitary gland, including hyperpituitarism, acromegaly, gigantism, galactorrhea, short stature, prolactinoma, pituitary adenoma, and diabetes insipidus.

Hyperpituitarism

The oversecretion of pituitary hormones.

Acromegaly

A very rare chronic disease involving abnormal enlargement of the hands and feet caused by too much secretion of growth hormone after puberty.

Gigantism

Abnormal growth of the entire body caused by excessive secretion of growth hormones prior to puberty.

Galactorrhea

A condition caused by an excess of prolactin, causing the breasts to produce milk spontaneously without childbirth.

Short stature (Dwarfism)

A condition referring to a deficient secretion of growth hormone.

Prolactinoma

A benign tumor in the pituitary causing the gland to produce too much prolactin, which can lead to infertility in women and erectile dysfunction in men.

Pituitary adenoma

A tumor in the pituitary gland.

Diabetes insipidus

A condition resulting from an insufficient production of the antidiuretic hormone (ADH), or by the inability of the kidneys to respond to ADH, resulting in too much fluid excreted by kidneys.