Pituitary Adenoma
Tumors of the Pituitary Gland
Tumors from Pituitary Cells
These tumors never actually grow or cause problems like a cancerous tumor, and are often not found until an individual is undergoing an MRI for another cause.
The symptoms include releasing active hormone into the bloodstream, which would be directly affecting all the components that hormones are active in. The size of the brain tumor can also cause problems if it is too large, for it can push on surrounding brain structures.
Types of Pituitary Adenoma
They are always created spontaneously, which means they are NOT inherited.
Small Pituitary Functional Adenoma can cause an individual have:
Prolactinoma (symptoms include changes in sex hormones), Acromegaly (causes gigantism), and Cushing's Disease (related to muscle weakness, bruising easily, and unexpected weight gain).
Large Pituitary Functional Adenoma can cause an individual:
Vision loss, bitemporal hemainopsia, reduction of any hormones including growth and sex, and migraines.
Adenomas can also suddenly bleed internally.
They occur in all age groups but mostly occur after puberty.
Treatment For Pituitary Adenoma
Surgery to remove the tumor especially if the tumor is pressing on the optic nerves. Radiation therapy may be used to shrink the tumor for people that cannot have surgery.