Endocrine system.
The endocrine system is a complex system of glands. Glands are organs that make hormones. These are substances that help to control activities in your body. Hormones control reproduction, metabolism (food burning and waste elimination), and growth and development. Hormones also control the way you respond to your surroundings, and they help to provide the proper amount of energy and nutrition your body needs to function. The endocrine glands include the thyroid, parathyroid, pancreas, ovaries, testes, adrenal, pituitary and hypothalamus.
Pituitary adenoma
Tumour arising from the cells of the pituitary gland. They may be classified according to size, type of hormone secreted or to histological staining with specific dyes.
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Hypophysis
[Gr. hypo - under, beneath; Gr. physis - growth] Note that this term may be used in two different manners. It may be used to describe an embryonic portion of a developing gland, as in, 1) The invagination of the stomodeum which fuses with the infundibulum to form the pituitary gland. Synonym: Rathke's pocket. It may also describe a complete adult gland, as in, 2) more >>>
Acromegaly
Acromegaly is the clinical syndrome that results from prolonged, excessive secretion of growth hormone (GH). It is characterized by the overgrowth of almost all tissues and is manifested most obviously by coarsening of facial features and an increase in the size of the hands and feet. Acromegaly is uncommon; only three to four cases are diagnosed per million people each year... more >>>
 Prolactinoma
Prolactin stimulates the breast to produce milk during pregnancy. After delivery of the baby, a mother's prolactin levels fall unless she breast feeds her infant. Each time the baby nurses, prolactin levels rise to maintain milk production.
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Pituitary adenoma in children
Pituitary adenoma is an uncommon intracranial tumor of children. The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of 10 patients younger than 17 years of age with pituitary adenoma. Five patients had visual loss at presentation. Four of these five patients with visual loss and extrasellar tumor extension were adolescents (12-15 years of age). Seven of 10 patients underwent neurosurgery. Of the five patients with visual loss, three patients experienced visual improvement, one patient was unchanged, and one patient did not have follow-up. The visual loss in these patients tended to be more severe and more likely to be associated with optic atrophy than adult patients. Although they are relatively uncommon, ophthalmologists should be aware that pituitary adenomas may occur in children and that these tumors when present in the pubertal period may be more likely to exhibit extrasellar extension or invasiveness
 Pregnancy and acromegaly- little is known about the interaction between acromegaly and pregnancy, although it appears that pregnancy usually carries to term. At present, reasonable guidelines concerning pregnancy are
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