Pituitary Tumors Overview

Tumors may form in the pituitary gland, an organ in the brain that controls the release of hormones in the body. Hormones are chemical messengers that send signals to the body's organs to keep them working properly. Pituitary tumors have various effects on hormones and health, and they can cause many different health complications in adults and children. These tumors can develop on their own or be caused by one of many inherited disorders. NICHD scientists are exploring the causes of pituitary tumors and their related disorders and seeking better ways to diagnose and treat them. 

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Fast Facts

Common Name

• Pituitary (pronounced pi-TOO-i-ter-ee) tumors

Medical or Scientific Name

• Pituitary adenoma (pronounced ad-n-OH-muh)

Causes

The exact cause of pituitary tumors is unknown. Some pituitary tumors are part of a hereditary disorder called multiple endocrine neoplasia (pronounced nee-oh-PLEY-zhuh) type 1, or MEN 1.¹ It is likely that pituitary tumors are caused by abnormalities in one or more genes, by hormonal abnormalities, or by a combination of these factors.² Scientists, including NICHD researchers, are still working to figure out what causes pituitary tumors.

Number of People Affected

Up to 20% of people have pituitary tumors, but only about one-third of these people experience symptoms that cause health problems. Most people with pituitary tumors never know they have them.^1,3

Common Symptoms^4,5

Symptoms depend on whether the tumor produces too much of one or more hormones as well as the type of hormones the tumor produces. Some pituitary tumors do not produce hormones and are called "nonfunctioning" tumors. Nonfunctioning tumors cause a set of symptoms different from those produced by functioning tumors. General signs and symptoms of all pituitary tumors are:

• Headaches
• Trouble seeing
• Nausea and vomiting
• Confusion • Dizziness
• Seizures
• Runny or drippy nose

Common Treatments⁴

• Drugs to treat excess hormones produced by tumors
• Surgery to remove the tumor
• Radiation to kill tumor cells
• Chemotherapy to stop tumor growth

1. National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, PubMed Health. (2009). Pituitary tumor. Retrieved February 28, 2012, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001723/ [top]
2. Melmed, S. (2011). Pathogenesis of pituitary tumors. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 7, 257−266. [top]
3. Asa, S. L., & Ezzat, S. (2002). The pathogenesis of pituitary tumours. Nature Reviews Cancer, 2, 836−849. [top]
4. National Cancer Institute. (2011). Pituitary tumors treatment (PDQ). Retrieved February 28, 2012, from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/pituitary/Patient/page9/AllPages#7 [top]
5. The Hormone Foundation. (2004). Pituitary tumors. Retrieved June 14, 2012, from http://www.hormone.org/Resources/upload/pituitary-tumors-042010-2.pdf (PDF - 49 KB) [top]