Pituitary Diseases in the Tropics

The pituitary gland is the master controller of the hormonal axes in the body and modulates its hormonal output based on the information received from the hypothalamus and the peripheral target organs. The traditional feedback hormonal loop involving the central and peripheral organs is termed the hypothalamo-pituitary-target organ axis. Pituitary disorders may present either due to the structural or hormonal manifestations. Pituitary disorders often have a long gestation period before their clinical identification. The commonest pituitary disorders include functional and non-functional adenomas and hypopituitarism. In this chapter, we shall discuss the pituitary disorders encountered in the tropical countries along with their unique features and management. For complete coverage of all related areas of Endocrinology, please visit our on-line FREE web-text, WWW.ENDOTEXT.ORG.