Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
The cause of hypopituitarism may be something you are born with or something that has directly damaged the pituitary gland (such as brain trauma, infection, or a tumor). The diagnosis can usually be made with blood tests and imaging studies. Hypopituitarism can often be treated with hormone replacement therapy.
Phil Boorman / Getty Images
Types of Hypopituitarism
Panhypopituitarismis described when the function of both the anterior and posterior pituitary are impaired.
Hypopituitarism Symptoms
The causes of hypopituitarism can be broadly classified as being either congenital (occurring before or at the time of birth) or acquired (occurring after birth).
Congenital
Congenital hypopituitarism may be the result of a genetic mutation that affects the normal development of the pituitary gland during the embryo stage. There are no less than 25 mutations known to cause pituitary deficiency, including five mutations known as combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD) 1 through 5.
The majority are mutations passed from parents to child in anautosomal recessive pattern, meaning that both parents must contribute a CPHD mutation in order for the disease to manifest.
Among the rare genetic syndromes associated with hypopituitarism are:
Congenital hypopituitarism can also occur at the time of birth due to pregnancy complications, including preterm birth, severematernal anemia, pregnancy-induced hypertension,placental abruption, and severe maternal blood loss during the delivery (Sheehan syndrome).
Acquired
In some cases, the cause of hypopituitarism is unknown. Doctors refer to this as idiopathic hypopituitarism.
Hypopituitarism is a relatively rare condition, affecting around 4 out of every 1,000 people. However, as many as 30% to 70% of people with a traumatic brain injury will exhibit some signs of pituitary gland impairment.
The diagnosis of hypopituitarism is based primarily on blood tests but may also involve imaging studies to look for evidence of pituitary damage or deformity.
Chief among these are blood tests that measure the amount of the pituitary hormone in a sample of blood. This is not always as straightforward as it sounds. Deficiencies can be diagnosed in one of two ways:
There are no blood tests able to accurately detect oxytocin deficiency. If oxytocin deficiency is suspected during pregnancy, a contraction stress test may be conducted to see if an intravenous dose of oxytocin can induce contractions.
Imaging studies may also be used to detect a pituitary tumor or other pituitary gland problems. The two most commonly used are:
If a genetic cause is suspected, specializedgenetic testingmay be performed. These are typically ordered when rare disorders like Prader-Willi syndrome are suspected or when there is a family history of hypopituitarism.
Differential Diagnoses
Because the cause of hypopituitarism is sometimes difficult to pinpoint, the doctor will investigate other causes in what’s called adifferential diagnosis. These include other diseases associated with hormonal deficiencies, including:
In most cases, people with hypopituitarism can be treated with lifelong hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Depending on the deficiency, a number of synthetic or natural hormones may be prescribed in pill, patch, or injectable form.
Among the drugs commonly used in HRT for hypopituitarism:
Periodic blood tests will likely be needed to track your hormone levels and adjust treatment as needed. You may also need occasional CT or MRI scans to monitor a pituitary condition.
Surgery is uncommonly used to treat hypopituitarism unless there is a tumor or growth that can reasonably be removed without harm. Instead,high-dose radiationmay be used to shrink or control the tumor. If cancer is involved,chemotherapymay be prescribed.
A Word From Verywell
Hypopituitarism is an uncommon disorder that may be hard to recognize at first because the symptoms are often so non-specific. Even if a hormone deficiency is confirmed, it may take time before the underlying cause is identified. In such cases, you will likely be referred to anendocrinologistwho specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of hormonal disorders.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Gouden V, Jialal I.Hypopituitarism (panhypopituitarism). In:StatPearls.
Alexandraki KI, Grossman A.Management of hypopituitarism.J Clin Med. 2019;8(12):2153. doi:10.3390/jcm8122153
Fang Q, George A, Brinkmeier ML.Genetics of combined pituitary hormone deficiency: roadmap into the genome era.Endocr Rev. 2016;37(6):636-675. doi:10.1210/er.2016-1101
MedlinePlus.Combined pituitary hormone deficiency.
Du X, Yuan Q, Yao Y, Li Z, Zhang H.Hypopituitarism and successful pregnancy.Int J Clin Exp Med.2014;7(12):4660-4665.
Kim SY.Diagnosis and treatment of hypopituitarism.Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2015;30(4):443-545. doi:10.3803/EnM.2015.30.4.443
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.Cookies SettingsAccept All Cookies
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies SettingsAccept All Cookies
