Pituitary Disorders

Welcome to the latest edition of touchREVIEWS in Endocrinology, which features a range of review, case report and original research articles that highlight some key developments in our understanding and management of endocrinological disease. We begin with a commentary from Eleni Armeni and Ashley Grossman on seliciclib, a potential new treatment for patients with Cushing’s […]

Cushing’s disease (CD) is caused by an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)-secreting pituitary adenoma, or rarely carcinoma, and is considered a highly morbid endocrine disorder with few medical options.1,2 Although transsphenoidal pituitary surgery (TSS) is the mainstay of treatment for this disease, up to one-third of the patients eventually relapse and are required to be treated with a […]

Acromegaly is a chronic disease caused by an excess of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).1,2 Besides facial and acral changes, systemic complications lead to decreased quality of life and survival rates.3 The primary goal of acromegaly treatment is to normalize biochemical parameters, which significantly reduces the risks of complications and comorbidities associated with […]

Osilodrostat, a novel potent oral steroidogenesis inhibitor, has recently been approved for the treatment of adult patients with endogenous Cushing’s syndrome (CS), and Cushing’s disease (CD) not cured by pituitary surgery or in whom pituitary surgery is not an option. Osilodrostat acts by inhibiting the adrenal enzymes 11-beta-hydroxylase and aldosterone synthase, and by inducing the […]

Cushing’s disease (CD), or pituitary-dependent Cushing’s syndrome, is almost always caused by corticotroph tumours, a type of pituitary neuroendocrine tumour, which overproduces adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), ultimately leading to hypercortisolism and its associated clinical consequences, including increased mortality.1 The complications associated with Cushing’s syndrome must be minimized through effective treatment, ideally by rapidly normalizing hypercortisolaemia.1 The most effective […]

Acromegaly is the clinical consequence of chronic excessive exposure of the tissues to growth hormone (GH) and its second messenger, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). The excess GH secretion is almost exclusively secondary to a GH-secreting pituitary adenoma (somatotropinomas); however, excess GH also results from ectopic GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) secretion, usually from a neuroendocrine tumour, in […]