Hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis and TSH receptor antibodies may be the reason for the observation that the relation between free T4 concentration and TSH levels deviates from a pure loglinear relation that has previously been proposed. Standard procedures cover the determination of serum levels of the following hormones: For special conditions the following assays and procedures may be required: Hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis The hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis (HPT axis for short, a.k.a. thyroid homeostasis or thyrotropic feedback control) is part of the neuroendocrine system responsible for the regulation of metabolism. As its name suggests, it depends upon the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the thyroid gland. The
Pituitary apoplexy from a Rathke's cleft cyst, a remnant of Rathke's pouch that normally regresses after embryological development, may cause symptoms that are indistinguishable from pituitary apoplexy. Pituitary apoplexy is regarded by some as distinct from Sheehan's syndrome, where the pituitary undergoes infarction as a result of prolonged very low blood pressure, particularly when caused by bleeding after childbirth. This condition usually occurs in the absence of a tumor. Others regard Sheehan's syndrome as a form of pituitary apoplexy. The pituitary gland is located in a recess in the skull base known as the sella turcica ("Turkish saddle", after its shape). It