Overview:

The pituitary gland is a small pea-sized organ in the brain. located behind the nose at the base of the brain, your pituitary gland controls a lot of important stuff- like your growth, heart rate, and ability to have kids. It’s sometimes called the MASTER GLAND because it tells your other glands when to make more hormones. Those hormones then move throughout your body and tell your organs what they need to do to keep everything in working order. Treatments may require surgery and medication to block excess hormone production or shrink the tumour. In some cases, radiation also be used.

A pituitary gland tumor is a group of abnormal cells that grows out of control in your pituitary gland. Most of these tumors are not cancerous or benign, Still, the tumors can cause serious problems, either because of their size (large tumors) or because they make extra hormones your body doesn’t need (functioning tumors).

Causes:

When you have a genetic condition, you have a defect in one or more genes. Some conditions may make you more likely to get pituitary tumors, such as:

• Carney complex (rare genetic disorder that causes many noncancerous tumors)
• Familial isolated pituitary adenoma, or FIPA (rare condition that makes your body grow larger than normal)
• Isolated familial acromegaly (similar to FIPA)
• McCune-Albright syndrome (rare condition of that shows up as abnormalities in your bones and skin)
• Multiple endocrine neoplasia, type I and type IV (MEN1, MEN4) (Disorders that can cause tumors in your glands)

Symptoms:

Sometimes, a pituitary tumor may press on or damage parts of the pituitary gland, causing it to stop making one or more hormones. Too little of a certain hormone will affect the work of the gland or organ that the hormone controls. The following signs and symptoms may occur:

• problems with vision and certain physical changes.
• Headache
• loss of body hair
• In women, less frequent or no menstrual periods or no milk from the breasts.
• In men, loss of facial hair, growth of breast tissue, and impotence.
• In women and men, lower sex drive. In children, slowed growth and sexual development.
• Dizziness
• Seizures
• Nausea and vomiting
• Runny or “drippy” nose (cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord leaks into the nose).

Diagnosis:

• MRI of the pituitary. This test uses large magnets, radio waves, and a computer to make detailed images of organs and structures in your body without the use of X-rays.
• Blood, urine tests & Biopsy. During this test, the provider removes a tissue sample with a needle or during surgery. It is then checked under a microscope. A biopsy can tell if cancer or other abnormal cells are present.

Treatment:

Treatment will depend on your symptoms, age, and general health. It will also depend on how severe the condition is.

Treatment may include:

• Surgery to remove the tumor. Surgery is often a better choice for smaller tumors.
• External radiation (external beam therapy). This treatment sends high levels of radiation right to the tumor cells. Special shields may be used to protect the tissue around the treatment area. These treatments are painless and often last a few minutes.
• Radiosurgery (stereotactic radiosurgery) or gamma knife treatment. This is often 1 high dose of radiation sent right into the tumor tissue. It causes less damage to nearby tissues. It is not actually surgery. But like surgery, it is a 1-session treatment that removes the tumor.
• Medicine. Different types of medicine may be used to control how much growth hormone, prolactin, or other hormone is made by the tumor.

 

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