The pituitary gland secretes various hormones.  An excess or deficiency of particular hormones can cause serious health problems.  Growth hormone is secreted to influence growth.  If the pituitary gland secretes more than is necessary this hypersecretion can cause gigantism during childhood and acromegaly after puberty.  Both of these are usually caused by a pituitary tumor.  Radiation and bromocriptine are often used to destroy they tumor.  If neither of these treatments works, a prolactin release inhibitor is used to inhibit the release of growth hormone from the pituitary.  The drug octreotide is commonly used to suppress growth hormone release.  Unfortunately, it is expensive and gastrointestinal side effects are common.  I learned about this condition while studying how to become a radiologist this is one good site I found if you are interested in more information.

If the pituitary gland is deficient at producing growth hormone, the patient will not reach a normal height.  Patients with this deficiency use growth hormone replacement to supplement the missing growth hormone in their body.  This supplementation enables normal growth to occur.

The posterior pituitary gland secretes antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and oxytocin.  ADH promotes water reabsorption from the renal tubules in order to maintain the water balance in body fluids.  Diabetes insipidus is caused by a deficiency of ADH.  This deficiency causes the kidneys to excrete large amounts of water which leads to electrolyte imbalances and severe fluid volume deficit.  A head injury or brain tumor in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland can cause the diabetes insipidus.  If this occurs, ADH replacement therapy may be needed.

Here is a list of some of the drugs used for pituitary disorders:

-Desmopressin acetate (DDAV)

-Desmopressin (Stimate)

-Lypressin (Diapid)

-Vasopressin (aqueous) (Pitressin)

-Vasopressin tannate/oil (Pitressin Tannate)

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