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Hypopituitary...

From: http://www.adam.com/ency/article/000343sym.htm

Hypopituitarism Symptoms:

• fatigue
• weakness
• sensitivity to cold
• decreased appetite
• weight loss
• abdominal pain
• low blood pressure
• headache
• visual disturbances
• short stature (< 5 feet) if onset is during a growth period
• loss of armpit or pubic hair
• in women: cessation of menses, infertility, or failure to lactate
• in men: decreased sexual interest, loss of body or facial hair
• in children: slowed growth and sexual development

Note: Symptoms may develop slowly and may vary greatly depending upon the severity of the disorder and the number of deficient hormones and their target organs.

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

• weight gain (unintentional)
• joint stiffness
• hoarseness or changing voice
• hair loss
• facial swelling

Signs and tests:

• Diagnosis of hypopituitarism must confirm hormonal deficiency due to abnormality of the pituitary gland, and rule out disease of the target organ.
• Cranial CT scan, revealing a mass (aggregation of cells) consistent with pituitary tumor
• Cranial MRI, revealing a pituitary mass serum luteinizing hormone, decreased
• serum follicle stimulating hormone, decreased
• serum testosterone level, decreased
• serum estradiol, decreased
• serum cortisol, decreased
• serum sodium, reduced
• serum highly-sensitive ACTH, decreased
• T4, decreased
• serum thyroid stimulating hormone, decreased
• serum thyroid stimulating hormone response to thyroid-releasing hormone, decreased

This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:

• Growth hormone
• Glucose test
• Estriol - urine
• 17-ketosteroids
• 17-hydroxycorticosteroids

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HPA Axis: Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal Axis Modelling

From Methodist Health Care System

What are the symptoms of hypopituitarism?

Symptoms vary depending on what hormones are insufficiently produced by the
pituitary gland. The following are common symptoms associated with reduced
production of certain hormones:

Insufficient gonadotropins production (luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone)	In premenopausal women, this leads to absent menstrual cycles, infertility, vaginal dryness, and loss of some female characteristics. In men, this deficiency leads to impotence, shriveling of testes, decreased sperm production, infertility, and loss of some male characteristics.
Insufficient growth hormone production	This usually produces no symptoms in adults. In children, this deficiency can lead to stunted growth and dwarfism.
Insufficient thyroid-stimulating hormone production	This usually leads to an underactive thyroid and may cause confusion, cold intolerance, weight gain, constipation, and dry skin.
Insufficient corticotrophic production	This rare deficiency leads to an underactive adrenal gland, resulting in low blood pressure, a low blood sugar level, fatigue, and a low tolerance for stress.
Insufficient prolactin production	This rare deficiency may cause an inability to produce breastmilk after childbirth in some women.

The symptoms of hypopituitarism may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Consult a physician for diagnosis.