What is the anatomy of the pituitary gland?
The pituitary gland is within the sella turcica or the hypophyseal fossa. This structure is present near the center at the base of the cranium and is fibro-osseous. The anatomical boundaries of the gland have clinical and surgical significance. Sella turcica is a concave indentation in the sphenoid bone.
How can you tell the difference between Microadenoma and Macroadenoma?
A microadenoma is less than one centimeter in size; a macroadenoma is one centimeter or greater in size.
What is sella and Parasellar?
The sellar region includes the sella turcica and the pituitary gland, together with the ventral adenohypophysis and dorsal neurohypophysis. The parasellar region encompasses the cavernous sinuses, suprasellar cistern, hypothalamus, and ventral inferior third ventricle.
What is the sella turcica?
The sella turcica is a saddle-shaped depression located in the bone at the base of skull (sphenoid bone), in which resides the pituitary gland.
What are the three parts of the pituitary gland?
In most species the pituitary gland is divided into three lobes: the anterior lobe, the intermediate lobe, and the posterior lobe (also called the neurohypophysis or pars nervosa).
What is the most common type of pituitary Microadenoma?
Prolactinomas and nonfunctioning adenomas are the most common types of pituitary adenomas. Patients with pituitary adenomas may present initially with symptoms of endocrine dysfunction such as infertility, decreased libido, and galactorrhea, or with neurologic symptoms such as headache and visual changes.
Is pituitary Macroadenoma curable?
The goal of treatment is complete cure. When this is not attainable, reducing tumor mass, restoring hormone function, and restoring normal vision are attempted using medications, surgery, and radiation. Pituitary macroadenomas often require surgical intervention for cure.
What happens if the pituitary gland is underactive?
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.
