Pituitary gland thickening refers to the enlargement of cells or increase in the number of cells in the pituitary tissue, resulting in the enlargement of the pituitary gland, which can be divided into physiological and pathological.
1. Physiological thickening: the increase of hormone secretion in adolescents during puberty and the hormone changes in women during pregnancy and breastfeeding will lead to compensatory thickening of the pituitary gland. With the end of puberty, pregnancy and breastfeeding, the thickening of the pituitary gland will gradually return to normal.
2. Pathological thickening: common hypothyroidism leads to increased secretion of thyrotropin-stimulating hormone, which in turn can cause pituitary cell hyperplasia. Due to the destruction of the pituitary gland in patients with pituitary inflammation, the pituitary gland will have corresponding compensatory hyperplasia, resulting in thickening of the pituitary gland.
The thickening of the pituitary gland is detected on examination and needs to be combined with the patient’s medical history and other examinations to clarify whether it is caused by pathologic factors. If so, the patient should be treated for the primary cause.