Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0018681 (headache)
 56,091 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Some pituitary hormones secrete hormones while others do not. Nonsecreting tumors can interfere with normal pituitary hormone secretion and produce tumor symptoms and signs like headaches and visual field defects. The most frequent hormone-secreting tumors are prolactinomas. Growth hormone or ACTH or gonadotropin or gonadotropin-alpha and beta chain-producing tumors are less frequent, TSH producing tumors are extremely rare. The most important elements of the diagnostic work-up are clinical signs and symptoms, assessment of pituitary function (measurement of TSH, free T4, LH, FSH, oestradiol/free testosteron, growth hormone, IGF-1, prolactin, ACTH, Cortisol, serum and urine osmolality), CT and/or MRI and, in patients with large tumors, a visual field exam. The treatment of choice of pituitary tumors is often surgery. Alternative therapies are radiation treatment (in nonoperable patients or when hormone levels are persistently elevated after pituitary surgery) and drug treatment (dopamine agonists in hyperprolactinemia, somatostatin analogues in acromegaly). Pituitary hormone deficiencies are treated depending on the specific deficiency with thyroxine, cortisone, oestrogen/gestagen/testosterone gonadotropines or ADH analogues.
 ...
PMID:[Hypophyseal dysfunction and tumors]. 158 68

Aneurysms of the sellar region are commonly mistaken for pituitary adenomas, since they have similar clinical, endocrinological and neurological symptoms. The authors describe three patients with giant aneurysms of the internal carotid artery which were initially diagnosed as pituitary tumors. In all patients the clinical presentation was nonspecific, and consisted mainly of neurological symptoms such as headaches and visual field defects. Endocrine abnormalities were also found in the three cases. Patient no. 1 had short stature, lack of GH response to clonidine stimulation, low IGF-1 levels and blunted TSH response to TRH. Patient no. 2 had gonadotropin deficiency and patient no. 3 had hyperprolactinemia. CT scans showed a densely enhanced lesion in all patients, which was heterogeneous in one case and homogeneous in the remaining. Carotid angiography confirmed the diagnosis of aneurysm. Preoperative angiographic studies are necessary for the differential diagnosis of an aneurysm from a pituitary tumor. Furthermore, these studies could prevent the serious consequences of a transsphenoidal surgical approach in misdiagnosed cases.
 ...
PMID:Giant aneurysms of the sellar region simulating pituitary adenomas: a diagnosis to be considered. 180 16

Ten patients (seven women, three men) with active acromegaly, five previously treated and five newly diagnosed, were included in an open-label prospective trial of 3 daily subcutaneous injections of the long-acting somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995 (Sandostatin) at increasing doses in order to obtain maximum growth hormone (GH) suppression. Four patients had received surgery, radiotherapy or bromocriptine. SMS 201-995 doses were increased in a stepwise fashion from 100 micrograms every 8 h (three times daily) to 200, 300 and finally 500 micrograms three times daily at monthly intervals if mean serum GH values failed to decrease to undetectable levels in over 75% of the samples. The optimal dose was maintained for up to 28 months. Significant clinical improvement of headache, soft tissue swelling, facial features, hyperhidrosis and paraesthesia occurred in all patients. Mean 12-h GH levels were significantly suppressed in four patients and fell to normal values in four. Suppression of GH levels was not achieved in two patients. Comparison of the mean interindividual GH values shows that the optimal efficacious dose is 100 micrograms t.i.d. in 7/10 patients. Somatomedin-C (SM-C) was also significantly reduced to below 50% of pretreatment levels in nine patients in whom it was measured. The subsequent increments of SMS 201-995 up to 500 micrograms three times daily did not produce further clinically relevant GH or SM-C suppression. Pituitary tumour shrinkage occurred in five patients. Thyroid function remained normal. Impaired glucose tolerance occurred in four patients. Side-effects (diarrhoea, abdominal discomfort) were mild and transient. Asymptomatic gallstones occurred in three patients on 1500 micrograms/day and one patient on 600 micrograms/day after 6-12 months treatment. This dose-finding study shows that 100 micrograms three times daily SMS 201-995 is an effective therapy for most of the acromegalic patients we treated.
 ...
PMID:Clinical and biochemical effects of incremental doses of the long-acting somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995 in ten acromegalic patients. 220 Jun 20

Nine acromegalic patients, six previously untreated, were studied before and after 3-15 months of treatment with a long-acting somatostatin analogue (SMS 201-995; 100 micrograms injected s.c. three times daily). During treatment, the mean (+/- SEM) 24-h GH concentration fell from 82 +/- 22 mIU/l to 33 +/- 7 mIU/l (P less than 0.001), and eight of the 9 patients showed a reduction of at least 50% in GH levels in the fasting state and/or during a glucose tolerance test. There was a significant 30% fall in serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) with SMS. All patients showed rapid clinical improvement, with diminished sweating and headaches, and reduction in skinfold thickness, hand volumes and finger size. Computer tomographic scanning of the pituitary in eight patients showed no change in the size of the pituitary tumour during treatment. The only side-effects of SMS noted were transient abdominal discomfort and loose stools in two patients on initiating therapy. Although fasting plasma glucose concentration did not change during treatment (5.4 +/- 0.3 vs 5.5 +/- 0.3 mmol/l), mean 24-h plasma glucose concentration was higher with SMS (6.6 +/- 0.5 mmol/l vs 6.0 +/- 0.4 mmol/l; P less than 0.02). Mean 24-h plasma insulin concentration fell from 87 +/- 11 mIU/l before treatment to 39 +/- 6 mIU/l during treatment (P less than 0.005). No change in other anterior pituitary hormones was observed. SMS appears to be a safe, rapidly effective, long-term treatment for certain patients with acromegaly.
 ...
PMID:Effective long-term treatment of acromegaly with a long-acting somatostatin analogue (SMS 201-995). 287 56

In this open sequential study we evaluated the long-term effectiveness and tolerability of the i.m. administration of slow release lanreotide 30 mg (SRL) in 18 acromegalics (7 M/11 F, age 50.9+/-12.7 yr). Baseline mean GH and IGF-1 levels were 15.8+/-6.6 ng/ml and 702+/-74 ng/ml, respectively. Four hours, 1, 7, and 14 days after SRL, mean GH levels were 8.9+/-5.9 (p < 0.005), 11.4+/-6.9 (p < 0.05), 9.1+/-4.5 (p < 0.05), and 9.1+/-4.1 ng/ml (p < 0.05), respectively; and the IGF-1 values at 1, 7, and 14 days were 624+/-77 (p < 0.05), 555+/-83 (p < 0.001), and 467+/-58 ng/ml (p < 0.0001), respectively. Four hours after SRL administration GH was < 2.5 ng/ml in 11 patients and decreased 85% of the basal value, without normalizing, in another case. In the following 2 weeks, 7 and 2 patients maintained GH < 2.5 ng/ ml or < 50% of baseline; 3 and 2 of them attained IGF-1 values in the normal range or < 50% of basal levels. A patient developed acute pancreatitis after the injection of the drug and therefore stopped the treatment. Another patient did not continue SRL, and she was turned on octreotide, s.c. administered (OCT), because only the latter treatment ameliorated significantly the headache. In 16/18 patients the treatment was continued until the 24th month. SRL was administered every 14 days until the 24th month in 3 cases, whereas in 13 patients the dose schedule was increased every 10 days since the 7th month because they did not normalize serum GH and IGF-1 levels. In these 16 patients baseline GH and IGF-1 levels were 10.0+/-2.5 ng/ml and 671+/-75 ng/ml, respectively. At the 1st, 3rd, and 6th month of treatment mean GH levels fell to 5.4+/-1.4 (p < 0.05), 5.3+/-1.8 (p < 0.05), and 5.0+/-1.6 (p < 0.05) ng/ml, respectively; and IGF-1 declined to 511+/-87 (p < 0.005), 565+/-85 (p < 0.05), and 525+/-94 (p < 0.01) ng/ml, respectively. Throughout the first semester GH was < 2.5 ng/ml in 5 patients and decreased > 50% in another three. IGF-1 levels normalized in 3/5. Throughout the following 18 months of treatment, mean GH (3.4+/-1.0 ng/ml) and IGF-1 (413+/-75 ng/ml) values decreased significantly in comparison with both the baseline concentrations (GH p < 0.01, IGF-1 p < 0.001) and the levels measured during the 1st semester of treatment (GH p < 0.05, IGF-1 p < 0.001). GH remained < 2.5 ng/ml in 11 patients, and in 8/11 cases IGF-1 fell in the normal range. Serum GH and IGF-1 levels decreased by more than 50% of baseline levels in 2 other cases. At MRI, pituitary adenoma was no longer evident in one patient previously treated with OCT and significantly decreased in another patient previously treated with surgery plus radiotherapy, as well as in a patient previously untreated. During treatment the percentage of patients complaining of headache and fatigue decreased significantly (chi2, p < 0.05 and p < 0.0005, respectively). Overall, the headache (p < 0.005), arthralgia (p < 0.05), and paresthesia (p < 0.01) ameliorated significantly. Ultrasound scan showed gallbladder sludge or sand-like stones in 5/11 patients. This study, which is one of the longest surveys on a relatively large series of acromegalics treated with SRL, confirms the long-term effectiveness of this drug for the treatment of patients with active acromegaly. SRL decreases significantly GH and IGF-1 in most cases and induces the shrinkage of the pituitary tumor in some patients previously either untreated or both treated for acromegaly. SRL improves significantly clinical symptoms and it is well tolerated.
 ...
PMID:Results of a two-year treatment with slow release lanreotide in acromegaly. 1089 51

The aim of this study was to verify whether treatment with slow-release lanreotide (SRL) before surgery is useful in the management of patients with GH-secreting pituitary macroadenoma. Twenty untreated acromegalics were enrolled randomly in two groups. Ten patients (group 1: 2 males and 8 females aged 44.5 +/- 4.3 years) underwent surgery via transsphenoidal access. Only one of them was cured by surgery, whereas the other nine were treated with SRL. In the other ten patients (group 2: 3 males and 7 females aged 43.2 +/- 12.3 years), transsphenoidal surgery followed SRL treatment. Surgery induced the normalization of GH and IGF-1 levels in four group 2 patients - three of them had shown an evident shrinkage of the tumor after SRL treatment. After surgery, group 1 showed a significant decrease of mean IGF-1 (580 +/- 63 vs. 789 +/- 64 ng/ml, p < 0.02), but not of GH values (26.1 +/- 9.8 vs. 44.8 +/- 19.3 ng/ml, NS); the cured patient was excluded from the following evaluations. Group 2 showed an evident, but not significant, decrease of both GH and IGF-1 values compared to values measured at the end of medical treatment (GH: 22.4 +/- 9.7 vs. 7.7 +/- 4.7 ng/ml, NS. IGF-1: 570 +/- 69 vs. 402 +/- 58 ng/ml, NS). Gonadal, thyroid and adrenal impairment was evident in six, four and no patients in group 1 and in three, two and one patients in group 2, respectively. SRL 30 mg was administered every 14 days for three months and then every 10 days until the 6th month. Before SRL treatment, mean GH and IGF-1 levels did not differ significantly in group 1 vs. group 2 (GH: 29.3 +/- 10.5 vs. 43.4 +/- 22.0 ng/ml; IGF-1: 633 +/- 38 vs. 778 +/- 83 ng/ml). In group 1, a significant decrease of serum GH, but not of IGF-1 levels, was achieved at the end of 1st trimester of SRL (GH: 17.6 +/- 5.4 ng/ml, p < 0.05. IGF-1: 540 +/- 48 ng/ml, NS), whereas a significant decrease in both GH and IGF-1 values was evident during the 2nd trimester (GH: 6.1 +/- 3.0 ng/ml, p < 0.05. IGF-1: 433 +/- 74 ng/ml, p < 0.02). Serum GH levels, measured during the 2nd trimester of SRL therapy, were also significantly lower than levels measured at the end of the 1st trimester (p < 0.05). Group 2 serum GH and IGF-1 levels were not significantly decreased at the end of the 1st trimester (GH: 27.2 +/- 12.1 ng/ml, NS. IGF-1: 698 +/- 74 ng/ml, NS), whereas only serum IGF-1 (570 +/- 69 ng/ml, p < 0.05) was significantly reduced during the 2nd trimester of SRL (GH: 22.4 +/- 9.7 ng/ml, NS). Serum GH and IGF-I fell in the normal range in 4 patients in group 1 and one in group 2 at the end of the second trimester of SRL therapy. Independently of the trial applied, the mean clinical score level ameliorated significantly in both groups (group 1: p < 0.0005; group 2: p < 0.0001). In both groups, the proportion of patients complaining of headache and tissue swelling and the score level of headache, tissue swelling and excessive sweating decreased significantly. In group 1 the score level of fatigue and arthralgia also decreased significantly. In conclusion, this study proves that in patients with GH-secreting pituitary macroadenoma: (i) surgery followed by SRL induces a better clinical and biochemical status than SRL alone; (ii) SRL treatment before surgery ameliorates the clinical and biochemical outcome and reduces the prevalence of hypopituitarism due to surgery.
 ...
PMID:Effectiveness of slow-release lanreotide in previously operated and untreated patients with GH-secreting pituitary macroadenoma. 1160 83

Patients with acromegaly, who are not cured after transsphenoidal adenomectomy, may be treated with external irradiation and/or octreotide injections. Recently, a long-acting formulation of octreotide (Sandostatin LAR has become available in clinical practice. We assessed the effects of treatment with this long-acting octreotide in 18 consecutive patients with acromegaly treated in our center, who had persistent signs and symptoms of acromegaly despite transsphenoidal surgery with (n=7) or without irradiation (n=11). Twelve had already been treated with regular Sandostatin for a period of 0.5-8 years in dosages of 3 x 50 to 3 x 300 mcg s.c. (median daily dose 300 mcg). All patients started with i.m. injections of 20 mg Sandostatin LAR every 4 weeks. In the patients who started treatment with octreotide for the first time, mean serum IGF-1 levels (measured by IRMA, Nichols Diagnostics) decreased from 634+/-229 to 255+/-88 ng/ml after 3 months, 271+/-81 ng/ml after 1 year and 263+/-97 ng/ml after 2 years (all P<0.05), while random GH levels (DELFIA, Wallac) decreased from 6.6 (range 3.1-67.0) to 2.1 (0.5-3.1) mU/l after 2 years (P<0.05). In the 12 patients who had already been treated with octreotide, mean IGF-1 also fell, from 367+/-193 to 331+/-195 ng/ml (P=0.023) after 3 months, to 342+/-191 ng/ml after 1 year and 277+/-169 ng/ml (P=0.002) after 2 years, while random GH levels decreased from 4.5 (1.1-46) mU/l at baseline to 2.1 (0.4-23.0) after 2 years (P=0.003). Therefore, the average decrease of IGF-1 was 10% after 3 months and 25% after 2 years. One patient had a decrease of less than 5% (but her IGF-1 was normal, 193 ng/ml), and one patient showed no response to both regular and long-acting Sandostatin (ave. IGF-1, 755 ng/ml). No specific side-effects occurred. One patient chose to return to t.i.d. injection of regular octreotide because of slight worsening of her complaints of headache despite normal IGF-1 levels. All other patients favoured continuation of the monthly injections. In six patients, the dose had to be increased to 30-40 mg monthly because the IGF-1 levels still remained elevated. Sandostatin LAR may be considered a great improvement for the treatment of patients with (symptomatic) acromegaly.
 ...
PMID:Clinical experience with Sandostatin LAR in patients with acromegaly. 1174 80

A 54 year old man presented with frontal headaches for one year. A CT scan of the head revealed a pituitary mass. He denied a change in vision or galactorrhea, but did have decreased frequency of erections and a recent episode of renal stones. On physical exam, the cranial nerves were normal. Visual field exam revealed mild bilateral temporal defects. The genitalia were normal and the testes were soft. Laboratory evaluation revealed: Na, 134 mM/l; K, 6.7 mM/l; Cl, 104 mM/l; HCO3, 22 mM/l; BUN, 47 mg/dl; Cr, 8.3 mg/dl; Ca, 12.5 mg/dl; Phos, 5.5 mg/dl; prolactin, 32.0 ng/ml; T4, 4.46 microg/dl; TSH, 2.07 microU/ml; LH, 18.1 mIU/ml; FSH 3.2 mIU/ml; alpha subunit 1.6 ng/ml; testosterone 255 ng/dl; cortisol, 20.3 microg/dl; cortisol after 250 microg cortrosyn, 38.5 microg/dl (time 60 minutes); growth hormone, 1.4 ng/ml; IGF-1, 47 ng/ml; PTH, <1 pg/ml; 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 14 ng/ml; 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, 69 pg/ml. These results were felt to be consistent with a non-PTH-mediated hypercalcemia, such as humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy, or a vitamin D-mediated hypercalcemia, such as lymphoma, sarcoidosis or tuberculosis. Head MRI demonstrated a 3.5 x 3.5 x 2.5 cm heterogeneous mass enlarging the sella, deforming the clivus and compressing the cavernous sinus, basilar artery and left side of the optic chiasm. There was a small focus of high signal in the superior part of the mass on the T1-weighted image from either a proteinaceous cyst with early calcium deposition or sub-acute blood. These radiographic findings were felt to be consistent with a pituitary adenoma. The patient was treated with intravenous hydration and thyroxine 50 microg daily and underwent a transsphenoidal resection of the pituitary lesion. Pathologic examination revealed a pituitary adenoma with multiple granulomas and crystalline material; this was consistent with sarcoid within the adenoma. Post-operatively, the serum LH fell to 5.5 mIU/ml. A subsequent transbronchial biopsy revealed multiple non-caseating granulomas. A serum ACE level was elevated at 132.6 U/l. He received oral prednisone 60 mg daily with resolution of the hypercalcemia. Neurosarcoidosis occurs in 5 to 15% of patients with sarcoidosis and can involve the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. This is the first reported case of sarcoidosis occurring within a pituitary adenoma.
 ...
PMID:Sarcoidosis within a pituitary adenoma. 1213 93

Octreotide is a somatostatin analog that inhibits growth hormone release showing higher potency than natural somatostatin so it has proved to be effective in acromegaly treatment. The objective of present study was to establish the effects of octreotide LAR (long acting release) preparation in patients with active acromegaly. The following parameters were assessed: clinical response, safety of medication, GH and IGF-1 serum concentrations and pituitary tumor size. Eleven patients (6 men and 5 women) range 41.4 years old with diagnosis of active acromegaly were included. Octreotide was administered at 0.1 mg subcutaneusly dose three times daily for four weeks to test the drug tolerability. Afterwards patients received octreotide LAR 20 mg intramuscularly separated by 28 days periods with an option to continue for 8 months. Basal average GH serum concentrations was 27.6 ng/mL. After 6 months treatment reduction to 5.03 +/- 5.38 ng/mL in 9 patients (p < 0.001) was observed. Basal IGF-1 average serum concentration was 889.55 +/- 167.29 ng/mL with a reduction value to 483.00 +/- 239.71 ng/mL in 9 of 11 patients after 6 months treatment (p < 0.005). The drug was well tolerated with few adverse effects Diarrhea, flatulence and steatorrhea were observed during the administration of subcutaneous octreotide in 18.2% of patients. Two patients had symptomatic biliary lithiasis that was successfully removed by surgery. Clinical symptoms improved and some of them dissapeared such as headaches and sweatings. Tumor shrinkage was observed in 66.7% of cases. Monthly injections of 20 mg of octreotide LAR were effective to reduce GH and IGF-1 levels in patients with active acromegaly accompanied by improvement of clinical symptoms and significant tumor size reduction.
 ...
PMID:Improvement of acromegaly after octreotide LAR treatment. 1467 21

There have been several reports describing the cases of acromegaly, which show reduction in size of tumor in due to pituitary apoplexy or lymphocytic hypophysitis. We have encountered a patient of acromegaly, who developed panhypopituitarism after suffering from meningitis and showed the reduction of tumor in size. The results of imaging examination suggested the presence of pituitary apoplexy and lymphocytic hypophysitis. The patient was a 27-year-old woman, who visited a local physician with complains of headache and fever. After performing lumbar puncture, she was diagnosed as viral meningitis, and conservative therapy was initiated. The results of biochemical test of blood revealed hyponatremia. Because facial appearance of the patient was similar to that of acromegaly, endocrine dysfunction was suspected. The result of pituitary hormone tests showed high levels of growth hormone (GH) and somatomedin C (IGF-1) and low levels of the other hormones. At the same time, sign of diabetes insipidus was noted, and the patient was referred to our hospital. In the examination at the admission, GH and IGF-1 showed the trends to decrease, and the reduction in size of tumor was also detected. From the results of imaging examination, pituitary apoplexy and lymphocytic hypophysitis were suspected. Operation was performed, and pathological examination revealed inflammation of pituitary adenoma.
 ...
PMID:[Spontaneous remission of acromegaly after meningitis: a case report]. 1472 37


1 2 3 Next >>