OVERVIEW:
The pituitary is a pea-sized gland in the center of the head behind the sinus cavity, at the bottom of the brain, below the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus communicates with other parts of the brain and nervous system to regulate the body. It sends hormones that signal the pituitary to start or stop producing hormones. Hormones produced by the pituitary travel to other glands throughout the body and stimulate them to produce different hormones.
The pituitary has two parts:
Anterior pituitary
Posterior pituitary
Following are the hormones included in the pituitary function test:
Prolactin
Luteinizing hormone
Follicle stimulating hormone
Growth hormone
TSH and free T4
ACTH
Cortisol
WHY GET TESTED?
Pituitary function test may be ordered by the physician for a number of reasons:
- Diagnose a prolactinoma (a type of tumor of the pituitary gland)
- Help find the cause of a woman's menstrual irregularities and/or infertility
- Help find the cause of a man's low sex drive and/or erectile dysfunction
- When a child has slow growth, short stature, and delayed development
- when an adult has decreased bone density and muscle strength and elevated blood lipid levels that could be related to insufficient GH production
- Early or late puberty
- Hypothalamus or Pituitary disorders
- In the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism
- In the diagnosis of Grave’s disease
- Performed in pregnancy if symptoms of hyperthyroidism are present