Is a pituitary tumor serious?

Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
Updated on September 23, 2024
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Pituitary tumors are mostly benign. The tumors grow slowly, but due to their special location adjacent to the pituitary gland, when the size of the pituitary tumor increases to a certain extent, it will inevitably affect the pituitary, impairing its function and leading to pituitary dysfunction. This dysfunction manifests as endocrine hormonal imbalances, resulting in a series of symptoms and signs. Therefore, it is usually recommended to treat pituitary tumors surgically. Clinically, it is generally advised to choose the transnasal transsphenoidal approach for complete resection of the pituitary tumor.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Can pituitary tumors heal on their own?

Under normal circumstances, pituitary tumors generally do not heal spontaneously. Pituitary tumors are benign tumors and although they grow slowly, they tend to continue growing. When they enlarge to a certain extent, they produce a series of symptoms and signs, such as headaches behind the eye sockets, the forehead, and both temporal sides. If the tumor breaks through the sellar diaphragm, it might also affect the optic nerve, leading to decreased vision and visual field defects. Moreover, it can severely erode the pituitary gland, causing symptoms and signs like decreased pituitary function, endocrine hormone disorders, and bringing significant suffering to the patient.

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How to treat pituitary tumors?

Currently, the treatment of pituitary tumors can generally be conducted through various methods such as surgery, medication, and radiation therapy. The specific choice of treatment for a patient depends on the patient's individual circumstances, including factors such as gender, age, the current size of the pituitary tumor, whether there is damage to other vital organs, and the patient's overall condition. For most symptomatic patients, surgery is usually recommended. Clinically, it is generally recommended to choose transnasal transsphenoidal surgery for complete removal, which often achieves very good therapeutic effects. However, for some pituitary tumors located in special positions where complete surgical removal is not achievable, radiation therapy or Gamma Knife surgery can be used in conjunction.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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How many days of hospitalization for pituitary tumor surgery?

For patients with pituitary tumors, it normally takes about one to two weeks to undergo surgery and be hospitalized. After surgery, it is appropriate for patients to rest in bed and refrain from getting up too early, mainly to monitor for any occurrence of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea. Premature activity might lead to cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea or even trigger intracranial infections. Additionally, after surgery, it is important to perform blood tests to check the levels of endocrine hormones in the body, primarily to assess whether important electrolyte and hormone levels are normal. If there are abnormalities, adjustments should be made promptly, and discharge can be considered once the patient's condition is stable.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
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Is a 2cm pituitary tumor big?

In the case of pituitary tumors, if the size reaches two centimeters, it is relatively large. Under normal circumstances, pituitary tumors can be classified into several types based on their size: microadenomas are generally smaller than one centimeter, macroadenomas are larger than 1.0 centimeter, and giant adenomas are larger than 3.0 centimeters. Usually, a two-centimeter pituitary tumor is already considered a macroadenoma. Normally, such large pituitary tumors often compress the surrounding pituitary tissue, causing hypofunction of the pituitary tissue and significant hormonal disturbances, which can lead to a range of uncomfortable symptoms and signs in patients.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Is a pituitary tumor easy to treat?

Our current understanding of pituitary tumors is quite deep, and we have accumulated rich treatment experience in the pathogenesis, disease progression, and treatment of pituitary tumors. Therefore, it is recommended to use surgical methods for pituitary tumor patients, especially those with obvious symptoms. Clinically, it is generally recommended to choose the transnasal-transsphenoidal approach for a complete resection of the pituitary tumor. For most patients, this can achieve good therapeutic effects. Moreover, with the continuous advancement of diagnostic techniques, early detection and treatment of small early pituitary microadenomas through complete surgical resection can also achieve good therapeutic outcomes.