Acromegaly develops when too much growth hormone (GH) is circulating through your bloodstream and then affects body cells. It’s an uncommon condition that generally affects adults between the ages of 30 and 50. The onset is slow, and acromegaly is often undiagnosed in the early stages.
Pituitary Disorders
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ACROMEGALY
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ADULT GROWTH HORMONE DEFICIENCY
Growth hormone (GH) is a protein made in the pituitary gland and passed from there into the blood stream. GH has effects on virtually all the organs of the body, but its primary use during childhood is making children grow.
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CRANIOPHARYNGIOMA
A craniopharyngioma is a non-cancerous tumour growing above the pituitary gland. These slow growing tumours gradually invade into surrounding areas of the brain, damaging these tissues and causing compression-related symptoms.
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CUSHING’S DISEASE
Cushing’s syndrome develops if your body makes too much cortisol hormone. Symptoms usually develop gradually and so the diagnosis may not be clear for some time.
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DIABETES INSIPIDUS
Diabetes insipidus occurs when the kidneys fail to retain water, instead constantly filtering it out of the bloodstream into the urine. This disorder leaves you feeling continually thirsty and at risk of dehydration.
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HYPERPITUITARISM
Hyperpituitarism is a condition due to the primary hypersecretion of pituitary hormones, it typically results from a pituitary adenoma.
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HYPOPITUARISM
The pituitary gland produces a number of hormones or chemicals which are released into the blood to control other glands in the body. If the pituitary is not producing one or more of these hormones, or not producing enough, then this condition is known as hypopituitarism.
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NON-FUNCTIONAL PITUITARY TUMORS
Non-functioning adenoma (NFA) is the second most common type of pituitary tumour—accounting for between 30 and 50% of cases. Fortunately, NFAs are usually a slow growing mass of pituitary cells that are benign, or a non-cancerous growth.
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PROLACTINOMA
A prolactinoma is a prolactin-producing tumour of the pituitary gland, and they are the most common type of hormone-producing pituitary tumour.