The posterior pituitary is the back lobe of the pituitary and is really an extension of the brain. It makes no hormones of its own: it stores and releases antidiuretic hormone and oxytocin, which are made in the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus and carried down nerve fibres in the pituitary stalk.
| Location | Back part of the pituitary gland in the sella turcica, continuous above with the pituitary stalk (infundibulum) and median eminence of the hypothalamus |
|---|---|
| Secretes |
|
| Nerve Supply | Hypothalamo-hypophyseal tract from the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei |
| Blood Supply | Inferior hypophyseal arteries |
| Venous drainage |
|
Releases ADH, which makes the kidneys retain water, and oxytocin, which contracts the uterus in labour and triggers milk let-down during breastfeeding.
Damage to the posterior pituitary or its stalk (head injury, surgery, tumours) can stop ADH release, causing central diabetes insipidus with large volumes of dilute urine and intense thirst; it is treated with desmopressin. On MRI the normal posterior lobe often shows as a bright spot on T1 images. Synthetic oxytocin is used to induce labour and to control bleeding after delivery.
Deficient ADH release leading to large volumes of dilute urine, thirst and risk of dehydration and high sodium.
Excess ADH from brain injury, lung disease, drugs or tumours, causing water retention and low blood sodium.
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