Pituitary tumors are solid masses of abnormally growing cells located in the pituitary gland. They can be microadenomas or macroadenomas and functioning or non-functioning. Functioning tumors produce excessive hormones and can lead to irreversible diseases. Treatment options include surgery, radiation, and medication. Symptoms include headache, nausea, vision problems, and mood swings.
A pituitary tumor, or pituitary adenoma, is a solid mass of abnormally growing cells located in the pituitary gland, which is located in the lower part of the brain. Their sizes are usually in the smaller ranges, so pituitary tumors are difficult to detect and thus may continue to go undiagnosed until critical symptoms appear. The pituitary gland is technically not part of the brain and has a different composition from brain tissues, so pituitary tumors are not considered brain tumors. The different types of pituitary tumors can be classified into various groupings, such as microadenomas or macroadenomas and functioning tumors or non-functioning tumors. They include adrenocorticotrophic tumours, gonadotrophic tumours, lactotrophic tumours, somatotrophic tumours, and thyrotrophic tumours.
In terms of size, a pituitary tumor is called a microadenoma if it is smaller than 0.4 inch (10 mm), or a macroadenoma if it is larger than 0.4 inch (10 mm). A pituitary tumor is also classified as functioning if the tumor produces additional hormones or as non-functioning if it does not produce any hormones. Functioning pituitary tumors are further classified, according to the type of hormones they secrete.
Adrenocorticotropic tumors are those that produce adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which oversees the adrenal gland to produce regulated amounts of cortisol and adrenaline. Gonadotropic tumors secrete luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which help stimulate menstruation in females and sperm production in males. Lactotrophic tumors, also known as prolactinomas, secrete excess prolactin, the hormone responsible for making breast milk. Somatotrophic tumors produce excessive growth hormones, which can lead to abnormal swelling of parts of the body such as the limbs, skull and hands. Thyroid tumors secrete thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which stimulates the thyroid gland to secrete hormones for metabolism and growth.
Functioning pituitary tumors produce excessive and unwarranted hormone levels, so they can lead to certain irreversible diseases or conditions, such as gigantism, infertility, impotence, and Cushing’s disease, among others. A pituitary tumor can be treated in several ways. The most common treatment is surgery to remove the pituitary tumor altogether. In some cases, when tumors are found to be too small to operate on, radiation treatments are an alternative treatment, or patients can wait for the tumor to grow larger.
If radiation and surgery treatments cannot be performed, drugs can help reduce the size of the tumor or eliminate it or regulate the hormone production of the pituitary gland. Persistent symptoms may indicate the presence of a pituitary tumor, such as headache, nausea, blurring or loss of vision, increased or decreased appetite, early or late puberty and growth, irregular menstrual cycles, and unexplained mood swings. Seeing a doctor is best when you experience combined symptoms.
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