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THE ÆTIOLOGY OF PITUITARY TUMOURS : THE ROLE OF HYPOGONADISM AND HYPOTHYROIDISM
Author(s) -
CAUGHEY J. E.
Publication year - 1957
Publication title -
australasian annals of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 0571-9283
DOI - 10.1111/imj.1957.6.2.93
Subject(s) - medicine , pituitary gland , etiology , thyroid , endocrinology , hypopituitarism , physiology , pathology , hormone
SUMMARY In rodents partial or complete impairment of thyroid and also of gonadal function leads in time to the development of pituitary tumours. There is evidence in the literature of the development of basophile tumours in humans who die of myxædema. In no case presenting as a pituitary tumour in our series of 50 cases has previous hypothyroidism appeared to be significant. In two cases quoted from Cushing's series, and in four personal cases in which pituitary tumours developed, there had been a complete or partial gonadal failure for many years preceding the signs and symptoms of tumours. It is suggested that in humans, as in rodents, the formation of some pituitary tumours may follow overactivity of gonadotrophic cells secondary to hypogonadism.