The pituitary gland itself is regulated by the superiors – the hypothalamus and the brain – in concert and receives direction from the superiors. For example, during childhood, the pituitary gland constantly receives signals of inhibition from the superior, the pituitary itself does not secrete FSH and LH, and the secretion of sex hormones in children does not increase. When puberty is about to begin, the pituitary gland receives more and more signals of excitement and less and less signals of inhibition, so the secretion of FSH and LH increases and acts on the testes or ovarian tissues, causing them to produce more estrogen and androgen, further promoting pubertal development. The posterior pituitary gland mainly stores a hormone that makes the body urinate less – antidiuretic hormone. If the posterior pituitary gland is damaged or if the pituitary stalk is interrupted, this hormone cannot reach and be stored in the posterior pituitary gland, causing a large increase in urine output, which can be tens of thousands of milliliters per day. Many patients go to the hospital for this reason and discover pituitary disease.
Pituitary tumors are benign tumors in the brain and can be treated medically or surgically, depending on the patient’s condition. If well controlled, it is not life threatening and can work normally after healing. Therefore, patients with pituitary tumors do not need to have a heavy psychological burden.