What you should know about pituitary tumors?
Pituitary tumors are abnormal growths that develop in your pituitary gland.
Some pituitary tumors result in too many of the hormones that regulate important functions of your body. Some pituitary tumors can cause your pituitary gland to produce lower levels of hormones.
Most pituitary tumors are noncancerous (benign) growths (adenomas).
Adenomas remain in your pituitary gland or surrounding tissues and don't spread to other parts of your body.
There are various options for treating pituitary tumors, including removing the tumor, controlling its growth and managing your hormone levels with medications.
Your doctor may recommend observation — or a ''wait and see'' approach.
What is pituitary gland?
The pituitary gland is a small, bean-shaped gland situated at the base of your brain, somewhat behind your nose and between your ears.
Despite its small size, the gland influences nearly every part of your body. The hormones it produces help regulate important functions, such as growth, blood pressure and reproduction.
Causes
The cause of uncontrolled cell growth in the pituitary gland, which creates a tumor, remains unknown.
A small percentage of pituitary tumor cases run in families, but most have no apparent hereditary factor. Still, scientists suspect that genetic alterations play an important role in how pituitary tumors develop.
Complications
Pituitary tumors usually don't grow or spread extensively. However, they can affect your health, possibly causing vision loss or permanent hormone deficiency.
A rare but potentially serious complication of a pituitary tumor is pituitary apoplexy, when sudden bleeding into the tumor occurs.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pituitary-tumors/symptoms-causes/syc-20350548
