HGH Deficiency (explanation) / Hypopituitarism

The human growth hormone deficiency’s scientific name is hypopituitarism. But, although the both terms are usually used as referring to the same health condition, some endocrinologists might also refer to hypopituitarism when they talk about HGH deficiency coming along with at least one other deficiency of another anterior pituitary hormone.

But, the human growth hormone deficiency might come along also with a posterior pituitary hormone deficiency. Then the health condition is called panhypopituitarism. However, although medical terms might be sometimes used partially differently, the HGH deficiency (or the hypopituitarism) represents a highly severe health problem, which must be taken seriously by its sufferers.

This disorder’s causes are also various. First of all, when congenital, the human growth hormone deficiency can be put in relation to mutations of specific genes, as well as to congenital malformations involving the pituitary gland. On the other hand, when other factors interact with the pituitary gland, the activity of this tiny part of our body might be damaged by different problems: first of all, the pituitary gland may be damaged by an intracranial disease; secondly, intracranial tumors in or near the sella turcica may have as well significant impact on the pituitary gland and its role of producing the human growth hormone. Then, the pituitary gland may be severely damaged because of radiation therapy to the head against leukemia or because of brain tumors.

And last but not least, the pituitary gland may be damaged by severe head traumas, by autoimmune inflammations, by different kinds of surgery interventions in the area of the pituitary, as well as by ischemic or hemorrhagic infarction from low blood pressure of hemorrhage pituitary apoplexy.

The disease’s causes are many and, excepting the congenital ones, most of them are related to different kinds of trauma close to the pituitary gland.

Similarly to other glands, the pituitary gland is a very sensitive part of our body, so its activity might be affected by many more or less severe factors.

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