Pituitary tumors are located in the pituitary gland.

Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
Updated on September 13, 2024
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Pituitary tumors are benign tumors that grow slowly, mostly within the pituitary fossa. Due to their proximity to the pituitary gland, small pituitary tumors generally do not show obvious symptoms. However, as the tumor size increases, it can easily compress the pituitary gland, affecting its function, resulting in pituitary dysfunction and causing an endocrine hormone disorder. This leads to a variety of symptoms and signs in patients. A cranial CT or MRI, including an enhanced MRI scan of the pituitary, can reveal a high-density shadow in the pituitary fossa, indicating the presence of an intracranial mass.

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Written by Gao Yi Shen
Neurosurgery
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How much does a pituitary tumor grow in a year?

At present, in clinical practice, there is no evidence to show how much a pituitary tumor can grow in a year, because the specific pathological nature of pituitary tumors varies, the overall health status of an individual differs, as well as whether a corresponding disease mechanism has developed, and whether regular treatment has been administered. These factors definitely influence the pituitary tumor. For some benign or non-functioning pituitary tumors, the growth is very slow after certain treatments, and they will not recur or grow after surgical intervention. However, sometimes, malignant pituitary tumors can grow very quickly within a year, significantly affecting the surrounding nerve tissues due to compression. Therefore, it is crucial to have regular follow-ups or seek early treatment if a pituitary tumor is present, as this is the best approach to treatment.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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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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The difference between pituitary tumors and pituitary adenomas

The difference between a pituitary tumor and a pituitary adenoma mainly lies in the extent of the affected tissue involved. Generally, pituitary tumors may have a broader range than pituitary adenomas, meaning that pituitary tumors include pituitary adenomas. Normally, a pituitary adenoma specifically refers to tumors occurring in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, as this lobe primarily consists of glandular tissue. Meanwhile, the posterior lobe of the pituitary is mainly neurohypophysis. Therefore, tumors typically referred to as pituitary adenomas occur in the anterior lobe. If a tumor is in the posterior lobe, it cannot be called a pituitary adenoma, but it still falls under the category of pituitary tumors.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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How to check for pituitary tumors?

For the examination of pituitary tumors, it can be conducted jointly through various methods such as inquiring about the patient's medical history based on symptoms and signs, as well as conducting endocrine and radiological examinations. Currently, with the continuous advancement in modern endocrinology, the use of endocrine radiology immunodiagnostic methods allows for the direct measurement of various hormones from the pituitary and hypothalamus, and functional tests of the pituitary can be performed. This helps in understanding whether there is hyperfunction in the pituitary and target organs, and provides an effective evaluation of early diagnosis of pituitary tumors, changes before and after treatment, and treatment efficacy, which is of significant importance. Additionally, judgments can also be made jointly through various methods such as cranial CT, cranial MRI, and enhanced MRI scanning of the pituitary gland.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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How long is the surgery for a pituitary tumor?

The duration of pituitary tumor surgery is influenced by many factors. For instance, the size of the pituitary tumor and whether the surgical procedure goes smoothly, as well as the presence of important blood vessels and nerves around the pituitary tumor, all affect the length of the surgery. Generally, for typical pituitary tumor patients, the surgery takes about two hours. For patients with larger pituitary tumors, the surgery may last up to three hours or even longer. The patient is given general anesthesia before the surgery and is moved to a recovery room to recuperate for a period afterward, and these times are also included in the duration of the surgery. Therefore, the specific length of the surgery is determined by these factors.