Medical Conditions That Result From Pituitary Gland Damage

The pituitary gland is a little endocrine gland located near the base of our brains. This gland is responsible for releasing several important hormones and also controls the function of various other endocrine system glands. There are various types of conditions that can affect the pituitary gland. Here, please review some of these conditions.

How Does the Pituitary Gland Get Damaged?

There are various ways that the pituitary gland can become damaged to the point that individuals experience harmful or unwanted symptoms. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  • Surgery. One common cause of hypopituitarism involves complications from surgery used to remove pituitary adenoma as well as surgeries for various types of brain cancer.
  • Radiation therapy. When individuals undergo radiation therapy to treat cancer or radiation to treat pituitary adenoma, this can cause damage to the pituitary gland.
  • Traumatic brain injury. Individuals who sustained traumatic brain injuries as a result of trauma, such as a vehicle accident, sporting injury, or intentional act of violence, could sustain damage to their pituitary gland.
  • Pituitary apoplexy. This occurs if there is some type of sudden destruction of pituitary gland tissue, usually resulting from a lack of blood supply to the pituitary or bleeding into the pituitary. Sometimes, a sudden loss of blood can lead to necrosis of the pituitary gland.

Symptoms Caused by Pituitary Gland Issues

The pituitary gland is a tiny gland inside the brain that releases vital hormones that control our bodily functions. This is part of the endocrine system, and the most common medical issue that affects these glands is a tumor, but you can see above that there are other ways the pituitary gland can become damaged.

Damage to the pituitary gland can lead to several issues, including the following:

  • Hypopituitarism
  • Diabetes insipidus
  • Sheehan syndrome

Some of these symptoms associated with pituitary gland conditions include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Frequent headaches that worsen
  • Changes in vision
  • Fertility or sexual concerns
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Depression or anxiety
  • High blood pressure
  • Hair loss
  • Growth changes in children

What if Your Pituitary Injury Was Caused by Another Party?

If you or somebody you care about has experienced some type of pituitary gland issue and you believe this was caused by the negligence of another party, speak to an attorney immediately. There are various ways that other individuals, companies, or entities could cause pituitary gland injuries or illnesses. This could include trauma inflicted by another individual or entity (vehicle accident, an act of violence, defective product, slip and fall incident, etc.), or this could happen as a result of a medical error (surgical mistake, misdiagnosis, failure to read/interpret scans, etc.).

You need to work with a Seattle personal injury lawyer who can conduct a complete investigation into the incident in order to determine liability. You may be able to recover compensation through an insurance settlement or as a result of a personal injury jury verdict. This compensation could include coverage of all medical bills associated with the pituitary gland issue, lost wages if you are unable to work, as well as physical and emotional pain and suffering damages.