Pituitary Disorders

UW Medicine’s pituitary program is part of the UW Medicine Neurosciences Institute, a tertiary-care referral center. Our pituitary specialists are trained to treat conditions that are overt and easily resolved, as well as conditions that require additional therapies and investigation.

Our team comprises specialists whose multidisciplinary experience guides the diagnosis and treatment of hypothalamic-pituitary disorders and tumors. Patients benefits from the collective wisdom of our multidisciplinary team. Physicians meet to review each case, discuss standard care, problem-solve and generate a consensus recommendation for next steps.

We treat tumors and nonsurgical conditions - from straightforward to complex, including:

  • Acromegaly – overproduction of growth hormone

  • Cushing's disease/syndrome – overproduction of cortisol

  • Nelson’s syndrome- aggressive tumor growth after bilateral adrenalectomies for cushings’s disease

  • Amenorrhea or galactorrhea- could be the result of overproduction of prolactin

  • Adrenal insufficiency – inadequate production of adrenal steroid hormones

  • Diabetes insipidus – inability of kidneys to conserve water

  • Hypogonadism – sex glands produce insufficient hormones

  • Hypopituitarism – insufficient secretion of multiple pituitary hormones

  • Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) – causes low sodium levels(hyponatremia)

  • Hypophysitis – an inflammatory condition of the pituitary

  • Pituitary tumors- secreting or non-secreting adenomas, pituitary carcinoma

  • Tumors of the suprasellar space/hypothalamic-pituitary region

  • Cysts of the suprasellar space/hypothalamic-pituitary region

  • Genetic Disorders