Hypopituitary disease refers to the pituitary's inability to produce any single pituitary hormone or failure to produce a combination of multiple pituitary hormones. HGH deficiency is a growth disorder that results in shorter than normal stature for age, particularly in adolescents. Without intervention, patients rarely exceed four feet in height and can be much smaller. In most people, the pituitary gland produces large amounts of human growth hormone throughout childhood and with the start of puberty, with a significant drop in production at age 25. With HGH deficiency, instead of experiencing a normal growth, the child grows slowly and does not experience the typical growth spurt with puberty.