Pituitary Tumors Secreting Growth Hormone and Prolactin

doi:10.1059/0003-4819-105-2-238

Pituitary Tumors Secreting Growth Hormone and Prolactin

Los Angeles, California

Abstract

The pathophysiology of functional adenomas of the anterior pituitary gland can be understood in the context of the central neural control of anterior pituitary secretion and by the fact that the cell types of the anterior pituitary gland generally express a single polypeptide hormone. Functional pituitary adenomas arise de novo from one or more of these cell types, but a defect in hypothalamic regulation can contribute to tumorigenesis and sometimes result in persistent tumor recurrence despite local surgical cure. The recent advances in molecular biology, radioimmunoassay, neuroradiology, and transsphenoidal microneurosurgery techniques have greatly improved our understanding of the pathophysiology of these tumors, enhanced diagnostic accuracy, and led to newer medical and surgical therapeutic approaches. This conference reviews the molecular and cellular pathophysiology, causes, diagnosis, clinical features, and medical and surgical management of the two common functional pituitary adenomas, prolactinoma and somatotropinoma.

Article and Author Information

▸An edited summary of an Interdepartmental Conference arranged by the Department of Medicine of the UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California. William M. Pardridge, M.D., Professor of Medicine, is Director of Conferences.
▸Authors who wish to cite a section of the conference and specifically indicate its author can use this example for the form of reference:

BRAUNSTEIN GD. Diagnosis, pp 244-7. In: MELMED S, moderator. Pituitary tumors secreting growth hormone and prolactin. Ann Intern Med. 1986;105:238-53.
Grant support: by grants AM 33802 and AM 34824 (Dr. Melmed) from the National Institutes of Health.
▸Requests for reprints should be addressed to Shlomo Melmed, M.D.; Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Room 1735, 8700 Beverly Boulevard; Los Angeles, CA 90048.