Pituitary tumors are tumors that are rooted behind your eyes, inside your head. Pituitary tumors tend to be benign, meaning that they grow slowly and do not spread to other organs in the body. These tumors make up 10 percent of all the tumors inside the head. 

Patient Population

Pituitary tumors are most commonly found in people in their 30s or 40s, and are found equally in men and women.

Tumor Types and Symptoms

Pituitary tumors are categorized into two main groups -- functional (hormone-secreting) and non-functional (non-secreting).

Functional Pituitary Tumors

Symptoms of functional pituitary tumors come from the abnormal release of hormones from the pituitary gland and include the following:

• Rapid weight gain
• Skin changes that include thinning and fragile skin, poor wound healing, bruising, recurrent infections, oily skin, acne
• Menstrual irregularities in women:  no periods or changes in timing of periods
• Abnormal hair growth in women
• Muscle loss and weakness, such as difficulty getting up from a chair or climbing stairs
• Bone loss, including fractures in ribs or vertebrae
• High blood sugar, blood pressure, and heart disease
• Difficulty controlling emotions; bouts of irritability, depression, panic attacks, paranoia, insomnia
• Blood clots
• Enlargement of facial features and increased size of hands and feet
• Infertility

There is specific type of functional tumor called a prolactinoma. The symptoms present differently in men and women.

Women often have unexplained lactation, menopausal symptoms and infertility. Symptoms in men in include decreased energy and sex drive, loss of muscle mass and strength, and erectile dysfunction.  

Non-functional Pituitary Tumors

Non-functional pituitary tumors do not secrete hormones and the symptoms typically present due to the size of the tumor.

Common symptoms include vision loss in the peripheral fields and headaches.

Diagnosing Pituitary Tumors

If your physician suspects you have a pituitary tumor, you will be given a blood test to measure your hormone levels.

Many times, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain is needed to view the tumor. There is a special, focused view of the pituitary that can be ordered if needed.

Treatment of Pituitary Tumors

Pituitary tumors are commonly treated with medications or surgery.

Medical Management

These tumors can be initially treated with medications designed to try to shrink the tumor. If these medications fail to shrink the tumor, surgery to cut the tumor out is recommended.

Additionally, medication and chemotherapy is often used following surgery to prevent the tumor from returning or growing larger

Surgery

Pituitary tumors can be removed during skull base surgery. The details of this surgery should be discussed with your surgeon. The risks and benefits of surgery will be discussed in this meeting as well.