What is pituitary adenoma?

Signs of pituitary adenoma are headaches, blurred vision, some cases of endocrine dysfunction leading to amenorrhea in women, impotence in men.

Dr. Pham Anh Tuan, Head of Department of Neurosurgery, Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said the pituitary adenoma is a type of tumor that develops from the cells of the anterior pituitary gland . This is the most common benign tumor in pituitary tumors, accounting for 10-15% of all tumors in the skull, ranking third after glioma and meningioma.

According to Dr. Tuan, pituitary adenomas often cause endocrine dysfunction, increase or decrease secretion of hormones that cause symptoms such as pale skin, fatigue, nausea, amenorrhea in women, impotence in men. , giant evidence . When tumor compression of the surrounding structure can cause headaches, visual loss due to insertion into the optic nerve.

When the tumor suddenly widens, taking place inside the pit pit can lead to life-threatening pituitary stroke. Common causes are hemorrhage and / or infarction in pituitary tumors. Some patients have found accidental pituitary adenomas when they have a cranial MSCT scan, brain MRI scan.

If the patient is suspected of having pituitary adenoma, the doctor will order laboratory tests.(Photo: cnybrainandspine).

At examination, if a patient is suspected of having pituitary adenoma, the doctor will order tests such as cranial computerized tomography, cranial magnetic resonance MRI, and endocrine evaluation tests. .

According to Dr. Tuan, depending on the type of pituitary adenoma and the clinical situation of the patient, the doctor will choose medical treatment with medicine or surgery. Pituitary adenoma is benign but when growth can compress vital nerves, blood vessels, surgery to remove the tumor. The pituitary gland is an endocrine gland; some patients after surgery must maintain hormonal treatment.

Many cases of pituitary adenoma can be healed with surgery. Currently about 90% of pituitary adenomas can be surgically removed from the nose . In Ho Chi Minh City, these are the regular surgeries of the Department of Neurology in big hospitals such as Cho Ray, People 115, Nguyen Tri Phuong, Nhan Gia Gia Dinh .

The pituitary gland and the surrounding pituitary gland can range from benign to malignant. Pituitary adenoma is one of those tumors and a benign type, not cancer.