Ovulation disorders and pituitary gland

  Lesions of the pituitary gland affect the secretion of gonadotropins and subsequently ovarian function and ovulation disorders. Common diseases that cause ovulation disorders include hyperprolactinemia, pituitary prolactinoma and Sheehan’s syndrome.  1. Pituitary tumors: Pituitary tumors account for about 10% of intracranial tumors. Pituitary lactinomas are the most common pituitary tumors, accounting for about 50-70% of pituitary tumors and growing slowly. Pituitary tumors compress the anterior pituitary gland and lead to hyperprolactinemia, which can inhibit ovulation and cause anovulation, manifesting as scanty menstruation, scarcity or even amenorrhea, and anovulatory menstruation can lead to infertility. Therefore, if hormone measurement shows increased prolactin, first of all, further examination should be done according to the degree of increased prolactin to find out whether there is a pituitary prolactinoma. If amenorrhea and lactation are caused by pituitary tumor, surgery or drug treatment should be decided according to the size of the tumor. Bromocriptine is currently an effective drug for the treatment of hyperprolactinemia. After treatment, patients with hyperprolactinemia can have their prolactin reduced to normal, ovulation is restored and pregnancy rate is high.  2. Sheehan’s syndrome: It refers to ischemic necrosis caused by ischemia or embolism of the anterior pituitary gland due to postpartum hemorrhage, hypopituitarism, loss of ability to synthesize hormones such as LH and FSH, resulting in ovulation disorders, accompanied by hypofunction of several endocrine glands such as the thyroid and adrenal glands. This is manifested by amenorrhea, loss of libido, hair loss, atrophy of female secondary sex characteristics and reproductive organs, chilliness, and reduced basal metabolic rate. The effective way to treat this type of ovulation disorder is to apply gonadotropin to induce ovulation.  3, empty saddle syndrome: congenital saddle transverse septal defect, pituitary fossa is empty, cerebrospinal fluid flows into the saddle, the anterior pituitary lobe is compressed, the saddle bottom tissue is destroyed and lead to the enlargement of the saddle. The main manifestations are: amenorrhea and headache. It can also increase lactogen.  Ovulation disorders have different treatment options depending on the location of the lesion. Patients are advised to visit a regular hospital; find a professional doctor you can trust; the doctor will develop an effective treatment plan according to the patient’s specific situation.