RT Book, Section
A1 Kasper, Dennis L.
A1 Fauci, Anthony S.
A1 Hauser, Stephen L.
A1 Longo, Dan L.
A1 Jameson, J. Larry
A1 Loscalzo, Joseph
SR Print(0)
ID 1128787634
T1 Disorders of the Anterior Pituitary and Hypothalamus
T2 Harrison's Manual of Medicine, 19e
YR 2016
FD 2016
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071828529
LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1128787634
RD 2024/04/23
AB The  anterior  pituitary  is  often  referred  to  as  the  “master  gland”  because,  together  with  the  hypothalamus,  it  orchestrates  the  complex  regulatory  functions  of  multiple  other  glands  (Fig.  168-1).  The  anterior  pituitary  produces  six  major  hormones:  (1)  prolactin  (PRL),  (2)  growth  hormone  (GH),  (3)  adrenocorticotropin  hormone  (ACTH),  (4)  luteinizing  hormone  (LH),  (5)  follicle-stimulating  hormone  (FSH),  and  (6)  thyroid-stimulating  hormone  (TSH).  Pituitary  hormones  are  secreted  in  a  pulsatile  manner,  reflecting  intermittent  stimulation  by  specific  hypothalamic-releasing  factors.  Each  of  these  pituitary  hormones  elicits  specific  responses  in  peripheral  target  glands.  The  hormonal  products  of  these  peripheral  glands,  in  turn,  exert  feedback  control  at  the  level  of  the  hypothalamus  and  pituitary  to  modulate  pituitary  function.  Disorders  of  the  pituitary  include  neoplasms  or  other  lesions  (granulomas,  hemorrhage)  that  lead  to  mass  effects  and  clinical  syndromes  due  to  excess  or  deficiency  of  one  or  more  pituitary  hormones.