Pituitary Cyst : Any endocrine gland may develop a cyst. This occurs commonly in the ovaries and thyroid gland; a cyst in the pituitary gland is benign (not cancer). Many pituitary cysts cause no symptoms and don’t grow or enlarge. Only when they do, do they become symptomatic. They can cause headache and/or rarely interfere with normal pituitary function. If the cyst is large, loss of vision may occur.

A pituitary tumor is a tumor that begins in the pituitary gland. Most pituitary tumors are not cancer. In fact, cancerous pituitary tumors are so rare that state and national cancer agencies keep no record of how many people get them each year. Benign (non-cancerous) pituitary tumors are also rare. About 3,000 people get them each year.

It depends on the type of tumor and how far it has invaded into the brain, as well as the patient's age and overall health. Three kinds of treatment are used: surgery (removing the tumor during an operation), radiation therapy (using high-dose x-rays/proton beams to kill tumor cells) and drug therapy to shrink and sometimes eradicate the tumor. Drugs can also block the pituitary gland from making too much hormone.

Pituitary tumors that affect hormones may cause a variety of symptoms, which are related to high hormone levels and production. These symptoms will be different in children than in adults. Growth hormone-secreting adenomas in children may cause: Other more rare kinds of pituitary tumors cause other symptoms. It is important for anyone who is experiencing any unusual symptoms to see their doctor.

Autopsy reports and radiologic and MRI evidence from around the globe indicate that one out of every five people worldwide has a pituitary tumor. The earliest study took place in 1936, when Dr. R.T. Costello of the Mayo Foundation conducted a cadaver study and found pituitary tumors in 22.4 % of the population (Costello R.T. Subclinical adenoma of the pituitary gland. Am. J. Pathol. 1936; 12:205-214). Statistics have not changed much ever since.

No. There are more than a dozen very different disorders that result from pituitary tumors and disease. For example, if a tumor forms in an ACTH secreting pituitary cell, it could result in the overproduction of cortisol (Cushing's Disease) or the underproduction of cortisol (adrenal insufficiency, often referred to as Secondary Addison's Disease).

Certain factors can make one person more likely to get a pituitary tumor than another person. These are called risk factors. In some cancers, doctors have identified risk factors that can be avoided, such as smoking or sun exposure. With pituitary tumors, doctors are not sure what exactly causes pituitary tumors and only one risk factor has been identified. Most people who get a pituitary tumor have no known risk factors.

Hi. I'm a nursing student and I recently had a male patient, 64 yrs. old, who is diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus type 1, obesity, hypertension, a right below-the-knee amputation due to osteomyelitis, depression, chronic renal insufficiency, and a few other things, including poor wound healing. He has the typical Cushing's body type and the buffalo hump. He has no striae on his abdomen.

No. Tumors which secrete high amounts of the hormone prolactin usually respond to medical therapy so that surgery is not required. Small non-secretory tumors, less than one centimeter (termed a microadenoma), can sometimes be followed with serial MRIs to monitor for progressive enlargement before proceeding to surgery.

No, pituitary tumors are usually benign. They grow very slowly and do not spread to other parts of the body.

No, these tumors are caused by an abnormality in the genetic material of the pituitary cell, which causes the cells to continue growing and dividing.

Any medical therapy for a pituitary tumor should reduce hormone overproduction by the tumor, and, ideally, decrease the size of the pituitary tumor so that any visual abnormality is corrected. Reduction in tumor size should improve or relieve headache associated with the tumor.

The pituitary is a small, pea-sized gland located at the base of the brain that functions as "The Master Gland." From its lofty position above the rest of the body it sends signals to the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, ovaries and testes, directing them to produce thyroid hormone, cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, and many more. These hormones have dramatic effects on metabolism, blood pressure, sexuality, reproduction, and other vital body functions.

A pituitary tumor is an abnormal growth of pituitary cells. Pituitary tumors can either be nonfunctional (that is they do not secrete hormones) or produce specific hormones, such as prolactin (causing infertility, decreased libido, and osteoporosis), growth hormone (causing acromegaly), ACTH (causing Cushing's), TSH (causing hypothyroidism), or be nonfunctional (that is they do not produce hormones).

The pituitary gland is a small gland located behind the nasal sinuses and above the roof of the mouth at the base of the skull. It is connected to the hypothalamus, a part of the brain. Together, the two control the production of many of the important hormones in the body. The pituitary gland sits in a tight bony space and has little room to grow or expand when swollen or if there is a tumor.

CDI itself does not interfere with menstruation or fertility. However, it may be associated with these or other problems if the disease or injury that caused the DI also damages adjacent parts of the brain or pituitary where other hormones are normally produced. Head trauma is one of the things that can cause this kind of collateral damage, but it does not always do so. Therefore, each patient with CDI must be evaluated separately to determine if any of the other hormones have been affected.

Neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas (islet cell tumors) are much less common than tumors arising from the exocrine pancreas. Reports often indicate that there are about two to three thousand cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year - although autopsy indicates that there may be a higher incidence of these islet cell tumors than are diagnosed. About 75% of these tumors are "functioning.

The symptoms depend on the size of the tumor and the location. Symptoms are caused by damage to vital tissue and by pressure from the tumor or swelling, which may happen if the tumor blocks the flow of cerebrospinal fluid.