Pituitary Tumors

Overview

A highly trained, multispecialty team of Mayo Clinic doctors specialize in treating pituitary tumors. Specialists from endocrinology, neurosurgery, otorhinolaryngology (ENT), radiation oncology, neurology, ophthalmology, and laboratory medicine and pathology work together to accurately diagnose and treat pituitary tumors.

Mayo Clinic is a world leader in pituitary surgery, performing more than 200 pituitary tumor removal surgeries annually. Mayo surgeons have helped advance pituitary tumor surgery techniques, and are internationally recognized for their expertise in using stereotactic radiosurgery to treat pituitary tumors. Mayo Clinic pathologists are renowned for their expertise in identifying the specific type of pituitary tumor present, which enables the team to recommend the most appropriate treatment.

Diagnosis

The patient's symptoms and results of physical, eye and neurological exams may lead physicians to suspect a pituitary tumor. To confirm the diagnosis, your doctor may recommend a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and other tests to check for excess hormones. Read more about pituitary tumor diagnosis.

Treatment

Treatment for pituitary tumors depends on the tumor type and size, its proximity to the eye nerves, and the patient's age and overall health. Most pituitary tumors are noncancerous. Nonfunctioning pituitary tumors do not produce hormones; functioning pituitary tumors cause overproduction of hormones.

Observation, surgery and medications are the main treatments for pituitary tumors. Mayo surgeons have pioneered an endoscopic through-the-nose surgical technique that is highly successful when the tumor is small. Most small, nonfunctioning tumors are carefully monitored and observed over time and do not require surgical treatment. Read more about pituitary tumor treatment.

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Location of the pituitary gland

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About Pituitary Tumors

Pituitary tumors, abnormal growths that develop on the pituitary gland in the brain, are almost always noncancerous (benign). The majority of pituitary tumors (adenomas) do not spread outside the skull (nonmetastatic) and usually remain confined to the pituitary gland or nearby brain tissues. Pituitary tumors are fairly common and are often coincidentally diagnosed during an MRI scan performed for another reason.

Although a pituitary tumor does not grow and spread extensively, it can have a big impact on health. Tumors in this part of the skull have limited room to grow. Thus, pituitary tumors can exert pressure and cause damage to nearby parts of the brain, such as the nerves leading to the eyes.

Some pituitary tumors also can press on and damage the remaining pituitary tissue, causing a reduction of pituitary hormones, a potentially serious problem. Other tumors produce too much of one or more pituitary hormones, which can cause serious health problems in other organs.

Read more about pituitary tumors at MayoClinic.com.