Pituitary Gland Disorders
Although the pituitary gland is not always directly affected by the thyroid, it can develop disorders that, in turn, upset the balance needed for proper thyroid functioning. The pituitary gland is about the size of pea, but it has tremendous influence within the human body. From prompting the start of puberty during adolescence to stimulating the thyroid to release TSH, the pituitary gland has a number of roles.
Thus, when the pituitary gland isn’t communicating with the thyroid, there won’t be enough TSH in the body, and that can lead to hypothyroidism. On the other hand, some tumors—usually noncancerous—can cause an influx of pituitary gland hormones and have the opposite effect on the thyroid.
