Pituitary tumors, diagnosis and treatment
What are pituitary tumors and what symptoms do they cause?
They are almost always benign masses that develop in the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is a gland located at the base of the brain and is responsible for regulating many important body functions including growth, reproduction, and metabolism. When a tumor develops in this gland, it can cause a variety of symptoms and complications that depend on the type, size, and location of the tumor. Common symptoms of pituitary tumors include headache, visual disturbances, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, loss of appetite, polydipsia, polyuria, enlargement of the limbs, hypertension, obesity, and metabolic disorders, menstrual disorders, and infertility in women, and erectile dysfunction and gynecomastia in men.
How are pituitary tumors diagnosed?
A combination of clinical examination and diagnostic tests, such as hormonal blood tests, ophthalmological tests, and imaging tests, such as CT and MRI, are usually required.
What is the treatment for pituitary tumors?
Treatment depends on the presence of hormonal disorders, the size, and location of the tumor.
- Monitoring: When the tumor is small and does not produce any hormone, or does not cause any symptoms, then re-examination is possible at regular intervals.
- Medication: In some cases, drugs are given that cause the tumor to shrink, and in other cases, hormone replacement may be required.
- Surgical removal: In some cases, surgical removal of the tumor is indicated, which is performed through the nose (transnasal-transsphenoidal). Transsphenoidal surgical removal is almost always the surgical technique of choice for removing pituitary tumors. The surgeon reaches the base of the skull through the natural opening of the nose either with the help of a microscope or an endoscope and with special tools can remove the tumor, protecting the pituitary gland and without causing damage to the surrounding anatomical structures. The hospitalization is short, without postoperative pain and the results, in experienced hands, are spectacular.
- Radiation therapy: Radiotherapy leads to the shrinkage of the tumor and is indicated in the rare cases where it cannot be completely removed surgically.
At Athens Medical Center in Maroussi we have a specialized team and the most modern medical technical equipment for the comprehensive treatment of pituitary tumors.
