Where is the pituitary gland located and what role does it play in secreting growth hormone?

Video content is professionally consulted by Dr., Doctor Tran Hoang Ngoc Anh - Department of General Surgery - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital

Although it is an important gland in the body, many people when asked do not know what the pituitary gland is? Where is the pituitary gland located? Understanding the position and role of the pituitary gland will help a lot in protecting health, preventing and treating diseases.

The pituitary gland is an endocrine gland structure, surrounded by a sphenoid structure, protected by the diaphragm, an important gland that directs the activities of most other endocrine glands.
The pituitary gland has the function of controlling the body's endocrine system, divided into 2 lobes: Anterior lobe and posterior lobe:
Anterior lobe secretes 5 main pituitary hormones to control 5 activities of the body including: Adrenocorticotropic hormone with function stimulates the adrenal glands to produce cortisol; Growth hormone (GH) affects many different cells, helps to increase height in children, controls muscle mass, and body fat; The pituitary hormone Prolactin stimulates the mammary glands to produce milk; Thyroid-stimulating pituitary hormone TSH; Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulates the ovaries to produce follicles and the testes to produce sperm. The posterior lobe is home to about 50,000 nerve endings throughout the body, and the posterior lobe produces two pituitary hormones, Oxytocin and Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH). Pituitary hormone (growth hormone) has the function of controlling the muscle system, skeletal system and fat system to control the body's activities from birth, to puberty, to adulthood. The body is tall, the muscular system is strong or not is due to the growth hormone in the pituitary gland. If the pituitary tumor secretes growth hormone, depending on the stage of the body's development to which stage, the clinical manifestations are specific at that stage.
Pituitary hormone (growth hormone) has a great impact on the development of the body, so each person should actively go to the doctor and test for growth hormone in case the body develops abnormally. or the body does not develop. In case of growth hormone deficiency in a new-born or developing baby, it will cause some symptoms such as slow growth, delayed puberty, earlier bone and joint closure...also need to have hormone testing. pituitary gland , specifically growth hormone to know the cause and have appropriate treatment.
When screening, if you find a tumor in the pituitary gland that secretes pituitary hormone (growth hormone), you should not be too worried because most of them are benign, there are also cases where the pituitary tumor invades the surrounding structures. around, affecting the overall development of the body.
In summary, when a growth hormone-secreting pituitary tumor is discovered, the most optimal treatment is still surgery to remove the tumor.