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pituitary tumor
E Y E
F A C T S
A pituitary tumor is an overgrowth
of cells that make up the pituitary
gland.
The pituitary gland is the “master” gland
located in your head that regulates other
hormone glands in the body.
produce headaches. If the tumor is large
enough to affect the optic nerve, you may
notice dim, dark, or blurred vision, or loss of
outside peripheral (side) vision in both eyes.
Occasionally, vision changes may come
on suddenly or are only detected when one
eye is covered.
SAM
PLE
The pituitary gland is responsible for sending
signals to the other endocrine glands throughout the body, including the thyroid gland, the
adrenal glands, and the sexual organs. An
abnormal growth of cells in the pituitary gland
may cause the pituitary gland to send excess
signals to the other endocrine glands, leading
to overproduction of thyroid, cortisone, growth
or sex hormones. If the pituitary tumor is large
enough, it may compress the nearby optic
and cranial nerves, affecting vision and eye
movement.
Tiny pituitary tumors are very common. In fact,
pituitary tumors are the most common type of
brain tumor. Tumors that grow large enough to
produce symptoms are much less common.
These tumors may often be present for years
without symptoms.
What are symptoms of a pituitary tumor?
Patients with pituitary tumors often have no
symptoms at all. Generally, endocrine symptoms are most common, including menstrual
changes, breast discharges, impotence, or loss
of sex drive. Occasionally these tumors may
Pituitary tumors are usually confirmed with
imaging studies of the brain, including CT or
MRI scans, as well as blood tests.
How are pituitary tumors treated?
Not all tumors need to be treated, unless
symptoms indicate otherwise. The most
common approach is to surgically remove the
tumor. With certain types of pituitary tumors
(depending on the type of hormone the tumor
secretes), medication can be used to shrink
tumor cells. This may improve both the visual
problems as well as endocrine dysfunction.
This type of medicine usually needs to be
continued indefinitely. Radiation treatment
may be effective only in preventing further
growth of a pituitary tumor.
Once the body’s normal endocrine functions
have been affected by a pituitary tumor, it is
very important to make sure that hormone
levels remain normal. Large tumors, even after
successful surgery, may recur years later.
Periodic eye examinations, vision and visual
field tests, and imaging studies are necessary.
Copyright © 2003 American Academy of Ophthalmology 08/03
057120
pituitary tumor
CO M PLI M E N TS O F YO U R O P H T H A L M O LO G I ST:
North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society
American Academy of Ophthalmology, P.O. Box 7424, San Francisco, CA 94120-7424
www.aao.org