Why can a diagnosis of infertility include a pituitary test?

This is an automatically translated article.

1. What is a pituitary tumor?

Pituitary tumors, like many other types of tumors, are aggressive growths from a certain type of pituitary gland. Usually, these are benign and slow-growing tumors. This is a very common disease. According to statistics, about 10% of adults will have a pituitary tumor.
Patients with pituitary tumor often have the following symptoms:
Visual disturbances: when the pituitary tumor grows large, it will compress a few nerves, causing vision disturbances. Endocrine disorders: Tumors in the pituitary gland can cause an increase in prolactin secretion in the body. In women, you will have menstrual disorders, amenorrhea for many months, lactation in the breasts... For men, the increased secretion of prolactin will cause decreased sex drive, fatigue, difficulty in ejaculation. pure...

2. Pituitary tumor (with increased secretion of Prolactin) is a common cause of infertility

Pituitary tumors often have many ways to classify, which include hypersecreting (hyperhormonal) and non-hypersecreting (not related to hormones). Usually, the problem with infertility comes from a prolactin-secreting pituitary tumor.
More specifically, tumors that arise from prolactin-secreting cells will increase the production of this hormone in the blood many times. This will interfere with fertility in both sexes:
For men: causing decreased libido and erectile dysfunction, sperm is no longer guaranteed in quantity and quality. For women: disrupting the hormonal balance in the body, thereby inhibiting ovulation, reducing the ability to conceive naturally.

3. Test methods for pituitary tumors

From the above issues, it can be seen that testing for pituitary tumors is necessary in the process of infertility / infertility in both men and women.
Usually, besides clinical examination, pituitary tumor is also diagnosed through the following tests/examinations:
Measurement of hormone levels through urine test/blood test Magnetic resonance imaging to check Tumor Vision test... For the diagnosis of infertility, the Prolactin test will be ordered to accurately determine whether it is a prolactin-secreting pituitary tumor or not.

4. What other tests/examinations are needed to diagnose infertility – infertility?

Besides the problem of prolactin-secreting pituitary gland, there are many other abnormalities that cause difficulty in conceiving in couples. Therefore, in addition to the pituitary tumor test, a number of other tests will also be specifically ordered to determine the most specific cause.
4.1. Ultrasound This is one of the first tests to do, including:
Uterine adnexal ultrasound: evaluates the ovaries based on factors such as the size and muscle structure of the uterus, the size of the ovaries ... Secondary follicle ultrasound: used to count the total number of follicles from 2 to 8mm in size, performed vaginally. Ultrasound checks the development of the ovum in a natural cycle. Ultrasound assessment of the uterine cavity to check for abnormalities such as polyps, septum... The above ultrasounds will be indicated by the doctor and can be performed 2-3 times depending on the results from the ultrasound. prior to.
4.2. Hormone testing Some tests related to hormones (hormones) such as FSH, LH, E2, Prolactin... will also be conducted. In addition to the pituitary tumor test (usually related to the hormone Prolactin) presented above, some other necessary tests are:
FSH : FSH hormone has the function of stimulating the growth of the follicles in each cycle. period. When FSH is low, the patient is likely to have polycystic ovaries, difficulty in ovulating and leading to difficulty conceiving. LH: LH hormone stimulates the production of Estradiol in the ovaries. When LH levels are high, ovulation occurs mid-cycle. In addition, in men, LH has the function of stimulating the production of the male hormone Testosterone. E2 test: is a type of test that quantifies the hormone estrogen.

4.3. Hysterosalpingogram For the wife, the doctor will also conduct a hysterosalpingogram to check the status of the uterus for abnormalities, and at the same time evaluate whether the fallopian tubes are blocked or not. These are the major causes of infertility/infertility in women.
This test is usually conducted 3 to 5 days after the end of menstruation to limit infection as well as avoid affecting the scan results.
4.4. Evaluation of Ovarian Reserve There is a large number of couples without children because of the wife's ovaries. Therefore, doctors will also evaluate ovarian reserve (the ability to supply eggs in the ovaries) based on many different factors, including inhibin B test, AMH test ...
Possible The pituitary tumor test is one of the important tests in diagnosing infertility - infertility in many couples. In addition, there are many other tests that need to be done to determine the exact cause of the impediment to fertility.
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