Pituitary Tumor

Causes & Symptoms of a Pituitary Tumor

Nearly all pituitary tumors are spontaneous occurrences. One exception is the rare inherited condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1 (MEN 1) that does involve pituitary tumors.

Pituitary tumors symptoms (many tumors do not present any symptoms) generally are either related to the secretion of hormones or to the effect of the mass.

Mass effect symptoms:

• frontal headaches
• visual problems such as bitemporal hemianopsia (visual loss in the temporal, or peripheral, field) caused by the tumor pressing on the optic nerve

Pituitary adenoma symptoms caused by hormonal abnormalities:

• Amenorrhea (loss of menstrual cycle in a female from excess secretion of prolactin)
• Acromegaly caused by excess growth hormones in adults causing enlarged hands, head, feet and other organs
• Cushing’s disease from an excess of cortisol
• Galactorrhea (milky drainage of breasts from excess secretion of prolactin)
• Gigantism (in children) from excess growth hormones

Pituitary apoplexy (bleeding or swelling in the tumor) can cause sudden headaches, visual loss and trouble with movement of the eyes or eyelids (due to compression of nerves in the cavernous sinus), lethargy or even death.

How Is a Pituitary Tumor Diagnosed?

If a pituitary adenoma is suspected, the following procedures will be used to identify the tumor.

• MRI of the brain that focuses on the pituitary
• blood tests to examine hormone levels
• eye examination

Treatments for a Pituitary Tumor

Many pituitary tumors do not need treatment, instead observation through continued MRI imaging and follow-up visits may be recommended.

Medication
If the pituitary tumor effects pituitary hormone secretion, either hormone replacement or hormone suppression therapies may be needed.

Patients with pituitary apoplexy often require immediate hospitalization and emergency surgery to remove the tumor along with additional hormone therapy.

Expert Surgery for Pituitary Tumors
For non-secreting macroadenomas (tumors larger than 1 cm), surgery is usually the primary treatment. Surgery is also usually recommended for pituitary tumors that cause acromegaly and Cushing’s disease.

At NSPC centers in Long Island, minimally invasive surgery techniques are generally the first-line of treatment. If surgery does not completely remove the tumor (or if a transsphenoidal surgery or craniotomy is not a good choice for the patient), then radiation is the next form of treatment.

Transsphenoidal Surgery for Pituitary Tumor This minimally invasive procedure involves an incision either through the upper gum or inside the nostril to reach the open space behind the nose called the sphenoid sinus. Our expert neurosurgeons use either a surgical microscope or an endoscope (tiny camera) to view the internal parts.

In rare instances, a standard frontal craniotomy(surgical opening of the skull) may be required to remove a pituitary tumor.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Pituitary Tumor
With stereotactic radiosurgery, the adenoma is targeted with highly precise radiation beams. Depending on the tumor size and its location either a Gamma Knife®, CyberKnife® or Novalis TX™ linear accelerator device may be used.

Our top board-certified neurosurgeons have successfully treated hundreds of patients with pituitary tumors. Talk with one of our knowledgeable specialists to find out what the best pituitary tumor treatment option is for you. Our premier medical centers provide world-class medical care in the Long Island and New York areas.

Related NSPC Center

Long Island Brain and Spine Tumor Center

NSPC provides state-of-the-art treatment of benign and malignant brain and spine tumors, using minimally invasive procedures like Gamma Knife®, Novalis TX™, and CyberKnife® rather than major surgery whenever appropriate. Our physicians also perform experienced pediatric neurosurgery — they give personalized, individual attention combined with knowledge and experience to take on the most challenging of cases.