PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “PITUITARY GLAND IRRADIATION”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Disorders of endocrine function following cancer therapies.

There is a growing body of literature detailing the endocrine consequences of cancer therapy. Certain conclusions can be drawn from the data presented. Patients who have received incidental hypothalamic--pituitary gland irradiation need to be followed carefully with serial dynamic hormonal evaluations, as they are at high risk of developing growth hormone and prolactin abnormalities and can develop other pituitary tropic hormone deficiencies as well. Children especially should be monitored closely as GH deficiency can be corrected if detected early. Patients who have received radiation to the head and neck region will need long-term (up to 30 years) surveillance for the development of thyroid cancer, hyperparathyroidism or hypothyroidism. Persistent elevations of TSH after incidental thyroidal irradiation are frequently seen and should be reversed with thyroid hormone administration in an attempt to minimize TSH stimulation of the irradiated gland. Radiation to the gonads will cause graded damage dependent on the dose delivered and the mode of fractionation. Age in a woman seems to be a significant factor of radiation sensitivity. Certain chemotherapeutic agents are radiomimetic in their gonadal effects; to date the alkylating agents have been most commonly implicated. FSH elevations herald gonadal damage (aspermia or loss of follicles) and should be looked for in patients receiving abdominal radiation or systemic chemotherapy. Leydig cell dysfunction occurs less frequently. Of all the iatrogenic endocrine complications discussed, some are eminently treatable, and some are quite preventable. Greater awareness of the unexpectedly high incidence of hormonal dysfunction can help lessen therapy-induced morbidity in long-term cancer survivors.

Adrenal Gland Diseases↗

Pituitary enlargement secondary to hypothyroidism associated with sublingual thyroid gland.

Two patients with sublingual thyroid glands and hypothyroidism since childhood are described. Because of enlargement of the sella turcica both were erroneously diagnosed as having primary pituitary tumors resulting in secondary hypothyroidism. One of the patients was even treated with pituitary gland irradiation. Following substitution thyroid therapy, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels promptly returned to normal. Ectopic thyroid glands, which are often incapable of adequate hormonogenesis, may cause secondary pituitary enlargement and lead to the suspicion of a pituitary adenoma. The correct diagnosis can easily be established by measuring serum TSH levels, which are elevated in the former condition.

Adult↗