How can the pituitary gland be damaged?

The point I want to make is that the pituitary gland is a tiny organ that is attached to the hypothalamus by a thin stalk. It is so significant that it has its own little "throne," which is the sella turcica.

(To be fair, the gland actually rests in more of a tiny egg-cup.)

Now, if you could try to imagine something for me, that would be great; if you have modeling clay on hand, that would be even better.

Imagine you have an egg-cup, and you have a tiny clay lump that is just big enough to be able to dangle into the egg-cup so that it leaves a tiny space surrounding it. You can see that the pituitary gland is protected by the walls of the egg-cup, isn't that right?

The lump no longer has any space between it and the egg-cup, but it still fits. At this point, it's almost pressing against the sides. Add a little more clay to the amount you have.

You should be able to see that the clay now completely fills the egg-cup, with the exception of the walls, which are solid, causing the soft, pliable clay to begin to spill out. Add more clay to the lump and force it into the egg-cup.

This should help you comprehend how soft tissues that are housed in a fixed container—like the skull—tend to respond when they swell.

What then could be the cause of this?

The pituitary gland can become inflamed as a result of head trauma. If the inflammation isn't stopped, the pituitary gland will eventually become damaged once it enlarges to the point where it fills the sella turcica.

If the brain was infected or bleeding, the same might possibly happen.

Lastly, it's possible that a tumor starts to grow on the pituitary gland itself. If this happens, it would grow inside the sella turcica until it fills the area and starts to protrude.

Infections like meningitis, radiation, surgery, and other diseases can also harm the pituitary gland.

Numerous conditions, including head trauma, brain tumors, infections, radiation therapy, genetic disorders, and vascular conditions like hemorrhage or stroke, can harm the pituitary gland.