Pituitary adenomas


What problems do pituitary tumours cause?

In addition to describing pituitary tumours according to what hormones they are making, pituitary tumours are also classified according to their size. Tumours greater than 1cm in diameter are called macroadenomas and less than 1 cm are called microadenomas.

 

How would I know if I had a pituitary tumour?

Overproduction of certain pituitary hormones can cause specific clinical syndromes and these are outlined below.

In terms of the pituitary tumour itself, particularly if a tumour is large (macroadenoma), patients can complain of headaches or difficulty with their eyesight.

 

If a large tumour is preventing the rest of the pituitary gland working properly, there may be symptoms of an underactive pituitary gland including tiredness, light-headedness, irregular periods (women), and difficulty with erections (men) or a low sex drive (libido).

 

How are pituitary tumours diagnosed?

Here at Imperial College Healthcare Healthcare NHS Trust, our multidisciplinary pituitary service has enormous experience in the management of all types of pituitary tumour.

Evaluation of a patient with a pituitary tumour is performed by an endocrinologist, a doctor who specialises in hormones. Sometimes, patients may be seen in the first instance by a number of healthcare professionals depending on their symptoms eg  eye doctors (ophthalmologists), neurologist (headaches, dizziness), before being referred to an endocrinologist. After assessment of a patient’s symptoms and a careful clinical examination, one of our endocrinologists will arrange some blood tests to measure levels of the various pituitary hormones.  Sometimes more complex blood tests will need to be performed, where patients may be given an injection or a sugary (glucose) drink before further hormones are measured. These complex endocrine tests are carried out in our dedicated Clinical Investigation Unit.

 

The best type of scan to study a pituitary tumour is called an Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan. This involves lying still on a bed in a long tube for up to an hour. If the scan suggests that the tumour may be touching the nerve supply to the eyes, we will also ask you to have a test of your visual fields in the eye clinic.

What happens if I have a pituitary tumour?

Pituitary tumour patients are discussed at our weekly pituitary multidisciplinary team meeting. This ensures that all the healthcare professionals involved in the care of these patients discuss the best way to manage their pituitary condition and a clear treatment plan is made for each patient.

Treatment options depend on the type of pituitary tumour and how big it is.

Where possible, the aim of pituitary surgery is to remove the tumour and therefore prevent further pituitary hormone over-production. If the tumour involves other structures and cannot be totally removed, you may be offered additional treatment, including medication and radiotherapy (high energy x rays).

 

How will I be monitored?

Your follow up care depends on the type of tumour, but generally will involve clinical review in endocrine clinic, further blood tests, MRI scans and visual field assessment.

Sometimes, a pituitary tumour can be associated with underproduction of pituitary hormones, either due to the size of the tumour itself, or as a consequence of surgery or radiotherapy. You will be monitored for this regularly in endocrine clinic, and specific blood tests may be performed to assess your pituitary hormone production.

 

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