| AP | accessory pathway; accounts payable; acid phosphatase; acinar parenchyma; action potential; active p... |
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| APE | acetone powder extract; acute polioencephalitis; acute psychotic episode; airway pressure excursion;... |
| APG | acid-precipitated globulin; ambulatory patient group; animal pituitary gonadotropin; antegrade pyelo... |
| APH | alcohol-positive history; alternative pathway hemolysis; aminoglycoside phosphotransferase; antepart... |
| APL | abductor pollicis longus; accelerated painless labor; acute promyelocytic leukemia; animal placenta ... |
| pituitary | <anatomy, endocrinology> An endocrine gland located at the base of the brain, in the small recess of a bone - certain sections of the pituitary each secretes important hormones including growth hormone (GH) and antidiuretic hormone (ADH). (16 Dec 1997) |
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| pituitary adamantinoma | <oncology, tumour> A form of primary brain tumour which develops in the pituitary gland. These tumours often secrete increased quantities of pituitary hormones (for example growth hormone) which can result in conditions such as gigantism and acromegaly. They are often benign and rare and comprise less than 5% of childhood brain tumours. Other symptoms include vision changes, headache and weight gain. Treatment often includes a combination of surgery and radiation therapy. (27 Sep 1997) |
| pituitary adenoma | <radiology> Benign, slow-growing, arises from adenohypophysis (anterior lobe), 5-18% of all intracranial neoplasms plain film (unreliable): enlargement of sella and sloping of the sella floor, erosion of the anterior and posterior clinoid, erosion of the dorsum sellae, calcified in less than10%, may present as a mass in the nasopharynx functioning microadenoma, less than10 mm, 20-30% of pituitary adenomas, types: prolactinoma, corticotrophic adenoma, somatotrophic adenoma, nonfunctioning macroadenoma, more than 10 mm, 70-80% of pituitary adenomas (12 Dec 1998) |
| pituitary-adrenal system | The interactions between the anterior pituitary and adrenal glands, in which corticotropin (acth) stimulates the adrenal cortex and adrenal cortical hormones suppress the production of corticotropin by the anterior pituitary. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pituitary ameloblastoma | <oncology, tumour> A form of primary brain tumour which develops in the pituitary gland. These tumours often secrete increased quantities of pituitary hormones (for example growth hormone) which can result in conditions such as gigantism and acromegaly. They are often benign and rare and comprise less than 5% of childhood brain tumours. Other symptoms include vision changes, headache and weight gain. Treatment often includes a combination of surgery and radiation therapy. (27 Sep 1997) |
| pituitary apoplexy | Sudden haemorrhage into or ischemic necrosis of a normal or adenomatous pituitary gland. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pituitary diverticulum | A tubular outgrowth of ectoderm from the stomodeum of the embryo; it grows dorsad toward the infundibular process of the diencephalon, around which it forms a cup-like mass, giving rise to the pars distalis and pars juxtaneuralis of the hypophysis. Synonym: craniopharyngeal canal, hypophyseal pouch, Rathke's diverticulum, Rathke's pocket, Rathke's pouch. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pituitary dwarf | Dwarfism as result of failure of growth hormone production because of hypothalamic or pituitary abnormality. Synonym: pituitary dwarf. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pituitary dwarfism | Short stature due to underpreformance of the pituitary gland (specifically of the anterior pituitary). (12 Dec 1998) |
| pituitary fossa | Fossa of the sphenoid bone housing the pituitary gland. See: sella turcica. Synonym: fossa hypophysialis, pituitary fossa. (05 Mar 2000) |
| pituitary gigantism | Excessive growth due to overactivity of the pituitary gland (specifically of the anterior pituitary). (12 Dec 1998) |
| pituitary gland | A small oval shaped endocrine gland situated at the base of the brain in the fossa (depression) of the sphenoid bone. The overall role is to regulate growth and metabolism. The gland is divided into the posterior and anterior pituitary, each responsible for the production of its own unique hormones. (27 Sep 1997) |
| pituitary gland, anterior | The glandular or anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pituitary gland, posterior | The neural or post-neural lobe of the pituitary gland. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pituitary gonadotropic hormone | Any gonadotropin of hypophysial origin; formerly used to designate a single hormone, because it was thought that the anterior hypophysis secreted only one gonadotropin. Synonym: pituitary gonadotropic hormone. (05 Mar 2000) |