Pituitary Tumors

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What are pituitary tumors?

A pituitary tumor is an abnormal growth of cells in the pituitary gland, a small organ at the base of the brain. The pituitary gland controls many important hormones in the body that allow the body to regulate growth, metabolism, responses to stress, and sexual function.

Pituitary tumors are a type of brain and spinal cord tumor—and most are pituitary adenomas. Pituitary adenomas are benign, which means they are noncancerous, grow slowly, and don’t spread to other parts of the body. But benign tumors may cause different problems in the body. In rare cases, pituitary tumors are pituitary carcinomas, which usually grow quickly and spread to other places in the body.

Most pituitary tumors are not genetic (passed down in families). But in some types of these tumors, changed versions of genes can cause the tumors.

Symptoms of pituitary tumors

Many pituitary tumors don’t cause any symptoms. But some pituitary tumors can grow large enough to press on nearby structures, which can cause symptoms. Some pituitary tumors can also disrupt the normal functions of the pituitary gland, causing it to produce too much or too little of one or more hormones.

Pituitary tumor symptoms can be different depending on the size of the tumor and whether or not it affects hormone levels. Common symptoms of large pituitary tumors include:

Vision changes, including partial or complete blindness, or double vision
Headaches

With treatment, many people recover. But without early treatment, symptoms caused by pituitary tumors may become permanent.

Types of pituitary tumors

There are two types of pituitary tumors:

Functioning pituitary tumors
Nonfunctioning pituitary tumors

Functioning pituitary tumors produce hormones, which cause different symptoms depending on the hormone they produce. There are four main types of functioning pituitary tumors:

Prolactin-producing tumors

Some pituitary tumors cause the pituitary gland to produce too much prolactin, the hormone that controls breast milk production (lactation). Both men and women can have these pituitary tumors, which can cause:

Infertility
Changes to periods
Lactation
Erectile dysfunction
Decreased sexual interest

Growth hormone-producing tumors

Some pituitary tumors cause the pituitary gland to produce too much growth hormone, which controls growth, bone health, and muscle health. Pituitary tumors that make growth hormone can cause:

Unusual growth of body parts in adults, such as the jaw, forehead, hands, or feet
Children can grow very tall
Sweating
Noticeable changes in the face

Adrenal corticotropic hormone (ACTH)-producing tumors

Some pituitary tumors, called Cushing disease, cause the pituitary gland to produce too much adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH). ACTH controls the body’s level of cortisol, a hormone that helps the body balance sugar levels, blood pressure, and metabolism.

Cushing disease is one cause of Cushing syndrome, a condition in which there is too much cortisol. Other tumors can make ACTH or cortisol and cause Cushing syndrome. Some cortisol-like medicines can have the same effect.

Pituitary tumors that make ACTH can cause many symptoms, including:

Weight gain
Muscle weakness
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Trouble thinking clearly or mood changes
Blood clots
Infections

Thyroid-stimulating hormone-producing tumors

Some pituitary tumors produce thyroid-stimulating hormone, a hormone that controls levels of hormones made by the thyroid gland. These hormones affect how fast the body burns calories and how fast the heart beats. They also affect how children grow and develop. Pituitary tumors that make thyroid-stimulating hormone can cause:

Weight loss
Changes to heart rate or rhythm

Some pituitary tumors don’t produce hormones. These tumors usually are only found if they cause symptoms or if they become large and cause headaches or vision problems.

Who is more likely to get pituitary tumors?

Most people with pituitary tumors do not have family members who also have had them. Changed versions of genes that control how organs and tissues work can make a person more likely to develop pituitary tumors.

If you think someone in your family may have pituitary tumors or that you might be a carrier of an altered version of a gene that causes pituitary tumors, tell your medical team, and they may refer you for genetic testing.

How are pituitary tumors diagnosed and treated?

Diagnosing pituitary tumors

Doctors use imaging tests (or scans) to see inside the body to diagnose pituitary tumors. These include MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), X-rays, and CT (computed tomography). Doctors also use blood and urine tests to measure if a person’s body is making more hormones than expected.

Find out more about neurological diagnostic tests and procedures.

Pituitary tumors can sometimes be difficult to diagnose because their symptoms resemble those of other more common diseases. In fact, many people find out they have a pituitary tumor during imaging procedures or blood tests for a different condition.

Treating pituitary tumors

Pituitary tumor treatment depends on the size, location, and type of tumor—and whether it is affecting other nearby structures. Treatments for functioning pituitary tumors may also be different depending on what hormone the tumor produces. A person’s age or overall health can also influence what type of treatment doctors suggest.

Three types of treatments are common for pituitary tumors:

Surgery to remove the tumor
Radiation therapy using high-dose x rays to kill tumor cells
Medicines to stop hormone overproduction or shrink tumors

Finding and treating pituitary tumors as early as possible improves treatment outcomes.

Learn more about treatment for brain and spinal cord tumors.

What are the latest updates on pituitary tumors?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), which includes NINDS, is the leading federal source of funding of research on the brain and nervous system, including disorders such as pituitary tumors. NIH supports new and innovative research to better understand, diagnose, and treat pituitary tumors.

NIH researchers are studying how pituitary tumors develop using laboratory-created cell systems that mimic how real pituitary tumor grow and change. These scientists are also exploring new ways to treat pituitary tumors, including studying new genes and proteins that have been found to be involved in Cushing disease adenomas, and testing new medical treatments.

Multiple NIH-funded clinical trials are also currently underway. Capturing images of pituitary tumors is important for improving the success of surgeries. But many pituitary tumors are difficult to image because of their size or location. Many current NIH-funded clinical trials are studying different techniques for improving pituitary tumor imaging, both before and during surgery.

For more information on research about pituitary tumors, check out NIH RePORTER, a searchable database of current and past research projects funded by NIH and other federal agencies. RePORTER also has links to publications and resources from these projects.

For research articles and summaries on pituitary tumors, search PubMed, which contains citations from medical journals and other sites.

How can I or my loved one help improve care for people with pituitary tumors?

Consider participating in a clinical trial so doctors and scientists can learn more about pituitary tumors and related disorders. Clinical research that involves volunteer human study participants helps researchers learn more about a disorder and perhaps find better ways to safely detect, treat, or prevent disease.

All types of volunteers are needed—those who are healthy or may have an illness or disease—of all different ages, sexes, races, and ethnicities. This helps make sure that study results apply to as many people as possible and that treatments will be safe and effective for everyone who will use them.

For information about participating in clinical research visit the NINDS Clinical Trials site and NIH Clinical Research Trials and You. Learn about clinical trials currently looking for people with pituitary tumors at ClinicalTrials.gov, a searchable database of current and past clinical studies and research results.