A pituitary tumor can compress the brain as it grows which can lead to difficulties with vision, fine motor skills and speech.
The pituitary gland is directly connected to a part of your brain called the hypothalamus.
A pituitary tumor does not shorten life expectancy unless they happen to be cancerous.
The good news is though that most pituitary tumors are non cancerous and benign which means the also do not spread to other parts of your body.
However the earlier a pituitary tumor is diagnosed and treated, the better the your overall prognosis and quality of life.
The vast majority of people diagnosed with a pituitary tumor will live a long and healthy life.
Having a pituitary tumor or having one removed with surgery may permanently change your body's hormone supply.
As a result, you may need hormone replacement therapy for the rest of your life.
Pituitary tumors are unusual growths that develop in the pituitary gland.
This gland is an organ about the size of a pea.
It's located behind the nose at the base of the brain.
Some of these tumors cause the pituitary gland to make too much of certain hormones that control important body functions.
Some tumors make too much of a certain hormone. This can make it hard for the body to work the way it should.
Some tumors grow big enough to crowd out normal cells in the small space around the pituitary.
This can lead to vision problems, headaches, or other issues.
The causes of pituitary tumors are unknown.
Some tumors are caused by hereditary disorders such as multiple endocrine neoplasia I (MEN I).
The pituitary gland can be affected by other brain tumors that develop in the same part of the brain (skull base), resulting in similar symptoms.
Pituitary tumors can occur in people of any age (including in children), but they are most often found in older adults.
Surgery is the most common treatment for pituitary tumors.
If the pituitary tumor is benign and in a part of the brain where neurosurgeons can safely completely remove it, surgery might be the only treatment needed.
Neurosurgeons use two main approaches to removing pituitary tumors: endoscopic endonasal surgery and open surgery, or craniotomy.
A doctor performs an MRI of the head to determine if a pituitary tumor is present.
This scan can also help doctors determine whether a pituitary tumor is growing into nearby tissue.
Before the scan, the doctor may inject a contrast agent into a vein in the arm to enhance the images.