What is nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma?
A nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma (NFA) is a benign growth in the pituitary gland that does not produce any excessive hormone into the blood and is not cancerous. Non-functioning pituitary adenomas account for 15% of all pituitary adenomas, with approximately 70-90 cases per one million people.
How is non functioning pituitary adenoma diagnosed?
Imaging scans are one method doctors use to diagnose clinically nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas. We will also order hormone tests to evaluate the levels of pituitary hormone, confirming that there is no evidence of hormone production by the tumor.
What are Nonfunctions tumors?
A tumor that is found in endocrine tissue but does not make extra hormones. Nonfunctioning tumors usually do not cause symptoms until they grow large or spread to other parts of the body. Also called endocrine-inactive tumor.
Is a pituitary adenoma curable?
Most pituitary tumors are curable. If a pituitary tumor is diagnosed early, the outlook for recovery is usually excellent. However, if tumors grow large enough, or grow rapidly, they are more likely to cause problems and will be more difficult to treat.
What is Gonadotroph adenoma?
Functioning gonadotroph adenomas (FGAs) are adenomas expressing and secreting biologically active gonadotropins and causing distinct clinical manifestations (mainly menstrual irregularity and the ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome in premenopausal females and adolescent girls, testicular enlargement in males, and …
What are the symptoms of pituitary Microadenoma?
Symptoms of a pituitary microadenoma may include the following:
- Tiredness.
- Headaches.
- Vomiting.
- Dizziness.
- Vision problems.
- Nausea.
- Menstrual or breast changes.
- Unexplained hair growth or loss.
What is the treatment for a non functioning pituitary gland?
The main treatment for nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas is surgery. You may need radiation therapy after surgery. After your treatment, we provide follow-up care. Most patients have hormonal testing and an MRI each year for at least five years.
What does functional tumor mean?
Listen to pronunciation. (FUNK-shuh-ning TOO-mer) A tumor that is found in endocrine tissue and makes hormones (chemicals that travel in the bloodstream and control the actions of other cells or organs).
What is the cause of adenoma?
Most parathyroid adenomas do not have an identified cause. Sometimes a genetic problem is the cause. This is more common if the diagnosis is made when you are young. Conditions that stimulate the parathyroid glands to get bigger can also cause an adenoma.
What is gonadotroph adenoma symptoms?
Depending on which hormones are affected, symptoms might include:
- Nausea.
- Weakness.
- Unexplained weight loss or weight gain.
- Loss of body hair.
- Feeling cold.
- Feeling tired or weak.
- Menstrual changes or loss of menstrual periods in women.
- Erectile dysfunction (trouble with erections) in men.
What is the prognosis of pituitary macroadenomas?
Microadenomas do not cause excess mortality. These tumors generally are too small to cause pain, diplopia, or pressure on the optic chiasm. Otherwise-normal anterior and posterior pituitary function remains intact. Any morbidity is caused by excessive hormone secretionor patient anxiety.
What is the recovery time after pituitary tumor surgery?
Recovery after pituitary tumor surgery begins immediately in the hospital with close monitoring of vision, fluid intake and output and any nasal discharge from the surgery site. Expect to be out of work an average of about two weeks, depending on the type of work you do, according to Pituitary.org.
How dangerous is pituitary surgery?
In case of damage to the arteries, brain tissue, nerves near the pituitary gland during the time of pituitary tumor surgery may lead to complications like permanent brain damage, blindness, or stroke but even these complications are rare. In case during the surgery there is some damage to the meninges, it can lead to CSF leak.
How common are pituitary adenomas?
Pituitary macroadenomas are the most common cause of hypopituitarism. While pituitary adenomas are common, affecting approximately one in 6 of the general population, clinically active pituitary adenomas that require surgical treatment are more rare, affecting approximately one in 1000 of the general population.
