Abstract
Over 60 yr ago, Houssay demonstrated that removal of the pituitary improved the diabetes of animals and made them particularly sensitive to insulin (Carbohydrate metabolism. BA Houssay. N Engl J Med 1936; 214: 971–975), and Young reported that permanent diabetes could be produced by injection of pituitary extract (Permanent diabetes produced by pituitary (anterior lobe) injections. FG Young. Lancet 1937; ii: 372–374). Rolf Luft and colleagues in Sweden translated the Houssay model to humans by performing hypophysectomy in the hope of ameliorating vascular complications (Hypophysectomy in man. R Luft, H Olivecrona, B Sjogren. Nord Med 1952; 47: 351–354). At the same time, remission of diabetic retinopathy was reported in a woman with long-standing type 1 diabetes when she developed postpartum anterior pituitary insufficiency (Sheehan's syndrome) (The Houssay phenomenon in man: recovery from retinopathy in a case of diabetes with Simmonds' disease. JE Poulsen. Diabetes 1953; 2 : 7–12). In the 1960s and 1970s, there was considerable enthusiasm for pituitary ablation in the treatment of proliferative retinopathy, an approach happily supplanted by retinal photocoagulation.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
