Pituitary Tumors - What Should You Know About It?

The pituitary gland is located in the brain, behind the bridge of your nose. It is a very important gland that regulates the activities of the other endocrinal glands. Benign tumours can sometimes develop in the pituitary gland.
Adenomas result in a disruption in the secretion of pituitary hormones. And this can have a severe fallout on the body.

What are Non-Functional Pituitary Tumours?
30% of all pituitary tumours are non-functional tumours. These tumours do not allow the pituitary gland secrete the number of hormones required by the body. Non-functional pituitary tumours can lead to-

• Hypopituitarism or pituitary failure
• Loss of vision because the tumour exerts pressure on the optic nerve
The symptoms of non-functional pituitary tumours are-
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Exhaustion
• Rapid weight loss
• Joint pain
• Infertility and difficulty to conceive
• Irregular menstruation
• Joint pain

Treatment of Non-Functional Pituitary Tumours-

Non-functional pituitary tumours can be diagnosed with an MRI, ophthalmological evaluation, and a blood test to detect your hormone levels. Usually, doctors prescribe surgery for treating non-functional tumours of the pituitary gland. If the surgery cannot remove the tumour in its entirety, then radiation therapy is administered.

Functional Pituitary Tumours-
The opposite of non-functional tumours, these tumours are responsible for excessive secretion of growth hormones, ACTH. This could lead to-
• Gigantism
• Acromegaly
• Infertility
• Production of breast milk in women who do not need to breastfeed
• Hyperthyroidism
• High blood pressure
• Stretch marks
• Anxiety and depression
• Acne
• Excessive sweating
• Menstrual irregularity
• Low sperm count

Treatment of Functional Pituitary Tumours-
Unlike non-functional pituitary tumours, surgery is not the first line of treatment for the functional ones. Doctors do not even prescribe medicines in the early phases. But they do keep an eye on the tumours through regular imaging. If MRI reveals that the tumour has grown in size, then treatment will commence.
Since functional pituitary tumours cause over secretion of hormones from certain glands, the role of medicines is to inhibit the production of hormones. Drugs also do not allow the tumours to grow bigger. You will have to undergo continual testing to see if the medicines are effective and to ensure that the tumour is shrinking.
Surgery will be recommended for people who did not respond to medicines or for women who want to conceive. Even though pituitary tumours are harmless, they should not be overlooked. Seek treatment as soon as possible