Hormone Testing

Pituitary disorders are characterized by an excess or deficiency in one or more of the hormones produced by the pituitary gland and/or by the symptoms caused by the compression of surrounding tissues when a pituitary tumor is present. The pituitary is a pea-sized gland located in the center of the head behind the sinus cavity. It is found at the bottom of the brain, below the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus and pituitary gland are part of the endocrine system, a group of glands that work together to produce and regulate hormones that affect tissues throughout the body. The hypothalamus communicates with the brain and nervous system. It senses the body’s need for a specific hormone and tells the pituitary when to initiate or increase production of that hormone.

The most common problem with the pituitary is the development of a tumor. While most are benign, they can produce excessive amounts of a specific pituitary hormone, crowd out the production of other hormones, and compress surrounding tissues. The pressure can cause headaches and visual disturbances. Other pituitary disorders can arise from inherited genetic mutations, be congenital, be due to trauma or an impaired blood supply, due to surgical or radiation treatment of a previous pituitary disorder, due to a malignant tumor (rare), or be due to causes that are not yet well understood. The hormone deficiencies and excesses from these disorders can produce a variety of symptoms depending on which hormones and target tissues are affected.

When the hypothalamus is dysfunctional, pituitary hormone production is often affected. Excess or deficient hormone production by the pituitary may also occur if the glands “downstream” from it are dysfunctional. For example, normally the hypothalamus detects thyroid hormone deficiency in the blood and stimulates the pituitary to produce TSH. TSH in turn stimulates thyroid hormone production by the thyroid gland. If the thyroid gland is dysfunctional and cannot produce adequate amounts, then blood thyroid hormone levels will remain below normal even though the hypothalamus and pituitary are promoting production. The result is excessive amounts of TSH and deficient thyroid hormone.

A list of both common and rare Pituitary Disorders as stated by The Pituitary Foundation:

1) Common Pituitary Disorders

Pituitary Tumors, Growth Hormone Deficiency, Hypopituitarism, Hyperprolactinemia,
Empty Sella Syndrome, and Diabetes.

2) Rare Pituitary Disorders

Acromegaly and Gigantism, Cushing’s Disease, Nelson’s Syndrome, Kallman’s Syndrome, Pituitary Infarction, and Sheehan’s Syndrome.


The goal with testing for pituitary disorders is to detect excess or deficient hormone production,
determine the cause, and evaluate the severity of the condition. Testing frequently includes both the hormones that the pituitary produces (such as TSH) and the hormones of other endocrine glands that the pituitary is responsible for stimulating (such as the thyroid gland hormone thyroxine). Since pituitary hormones are released as needed, concentrations may be relatively constant in the blood (such as TSH), may vary over the course of a day (such as GH), over a cycle (such as FSH and LH during the menstrual cycle), or be present in specific situations (such as prolactin in a lactating woman or ACTH as a response to a physical or emotional stress). This may lead to the need for suppression or stimulation challenge tests. Medications are given to stimulate or suppress hormone production so that the change can be measured. It may also lead to the measurement of a related test such as the measurement of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1), which reflects total GH production, along with the measurement of the hormone (GH).

Relevant Laboratory Tests:

Prolactin
LH (Luteinizing Hormone) and FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone)
TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) and Thyroxine
hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) – to detect pregnancy
ACTH, Cortisol, and Glucose
GH and IGF-1

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For more information, or to speak with a member of our professional Medical Staff, call LabSafe toll free at 1-888-333-LABS.


All abnormal labs should be evaluated by a Physican for treatment.