The blood tests that check pituitary function are hormone level blood tests which include testing for growth hormones, adrenocorticotropic hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone, Prolactin, Follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone and testosterone/estrogen hormone.
Growth hormone blood tests measure the amount of GH produced by your pituitary gland.
Adrenocorticotropic hormone controls the production of cortisol by your adrenal glands.
Thyroid stimulating hormone regulates your thyroid hormone production.
Prolactin controls milk production in women.
Follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone is involved in reproductive function.
And testosterone and estrogen are sex hormones which are regulated by your pituitary gland.
An MRI of the brain will show a pituitary tumor and allow doctors to visualize your pituitary gland and any surrounding structures to help determine the location and size of the pituitary tumor and any other possible tumors.
An MRI is the best imaging method for detecting pituitary tumors as they provide more detailed images than CT scans.
An MRI uses magnetic fields and radio waves to create detailed images of your brain and pituitary gland and can help to identify both large "macroadenomas" and smaller microadenomas" pituitary tumors.
An MRI can also show the size of the pituitary tumor, whether it's growing into nearby tissues and can also help to determine the type of tumor you have.
A contrast agent such as gadolinium can be injected to enhance the images and make it easier to see small changes or tumors and in addition to the MRI, blood tests may also be used to check your hormone levels and other imaging tests to confirm the diagnoses of the pituitary tumor.
The symptoms of a pituitary tumor can include vision changes, headaches, fatigue and hormonal imbalances.
The symptoms of a pituitary tumor can be varied and subtle and if you experience any of the above symptoms you should see a doctor for proper diagnoses and treatment.
Without tests you won't know for sure if you have a pituitary tumor.
Pituitary tumors can also press on your optic nerves and cause blurred or double vision, loss of peripheral vision or even blindness.
The pituitary tumors can also affect the nerves in your face and lead to numbness or pain.
Pressure on your brain from a growing pituitary tumor can also cause dizziness or loss of consciousness and you may experience nausea and or vomiting.
A pituitary tumor is considered a brain tumor as they grow in the pituitary gland located in the brain.
Most pituitary tumors are non cancerous and are also called pituitary adenomas.
Your pituitary gland is a small gland which lies in a hollow that is just behind your eyes.
The life expectancy of someone with a pituitary tumor is around 5 years although some people live longer.
The symptoms of a tumor on your pituitary gland are headache, eye problems, loss of side vision, double vision, pain in your face, sinus pain, ear pain, drooping eyelid, nausea and vomiting and seizures.
The most common malignant tumor of the pituitary gland is a prolactin-producing tumor (also called a prolactinoma) – the most common type of functioning tumor.
The disorders of the pituitary gland are.
Acromegaly.
Cushing's Syndrome.
Diabetes Insipidus.
Empty Sella Syndrome.
Hypopituitarism.
The signs that you have a low functioning pituitary gland are fatigue, mood changes, decreased facial or body hair, erectile dysfunction, not being able to produce breast milk, loss of pubic hair, irregular periods or no periods and hot flashes.
Doctors test for pituitary gland problems through use of a CT scan known as a computed tomopgraphy that creates detailed cross sectional images of part of the body.
The CT scan can find a pituitary adenoma if it is large enough although an MRI scan is sometimes also used to look at your brain and pituitary gland.
The organs that the pituitary gland controls are the kidneys, breasts and uterus.
The pituitary gland controls and monitors and regulates many body functions through the hormones that it produces which includes the growth and sexual reproductive development and function and the Glands which include the adrenal glands, gonads and the thyroid gland.
The symptoms of a person with a pituitary tumor are a deeper voice, joint pain, increased body odor and sweating, thicker skin, growth of hands and feet, changes in facial features such as larger lips, larger nose and tongue and also a longer lower jaw and wide spaces between the teeth.
A pituitary tumor will look like a small solid pituitary mass and sometimes a large heterogeneous solid mass.
The posterior pituitary bright spot is an MRI feature of the normal pituitary gland.
It refers to the intrinsically high T1 signal of the posterior pituitary thought to be from the storage of vasopressin, which has a T1-shortening effect.
An MRI does not always show a pituitary tumor especially if the pituitary tumor is small.
Around 30 percent of pituitary tumors are missed on an MRI or don't show up at all on an MRI.
Blood tests and urine tests may also be needed for testing for pituitary tumors and problems.
A doctor performs an MRI of the head to determine if a pituitary tumor is present.
The MRI scan can also help doctors determine whether a pituitary tumor is growing into nearby tissue.
Before the MRI scan, the doctor may inject a contrast agent into a vein in the arm to enhance the images.
The success rate of pituitary tumor removal is 90 percent.
Removal of a pituitary tumor is highly successful.
A pituitary headache will feel like a steady, bifrontal or unilateral frontal aching pain.
The organ that pituitary glands most directly affect are your thyroid, reproductive system organs and ovaries and testes.
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.