Condition Lookup
Category:
Pituitary Tumors
Number of Conditions: 2
Prolactinoma
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Pituitary Tumors
Symptoms:
irregular menstrual cycles; infertility; galactorrhea; low libido; erectile dysfunction; headaches; vision problems
Root Cause:
Benign pituitary adenoma that excessively secretes prolactin, leading to disruptions in reproductive hormones.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Serum prolactin levels, MRI of the pituitary gland.
Treatment:
Primarily medical management with dopamine agonists; surgery is rare and reserved for refractory cases.
Medications:
Dopamine agonists such as cabergoline (preferred) and bromocriptine .
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Most common hormone-secreting pituitary tumor; affects women more than men.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Female sex, certain medications, hypothyroidism.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent with proper medical management; tumors often shrink significantly.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Vision loss if untreated, osteoporosis due to prolonged hypoestrogenism.
Non-functioning Pituitary Adenomas
Specialty: Neurology
Category: Pituitary Tumors
Symptoms:
headaches; vision loss; fatigue; hypopituitarism symptoms like weakness, infertility, low libido
Root Cause:
Benign adenomas of the pituitary gland that do not produce hormones but may compress surrounding structures.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
MRI of the pituitary, blood tests to assess pituitary hormone function.
Treatment:
Surgical resection for symptomatic or growing tumors, with hormone replacement as needed.
Medications:
Hormone replacement therapies for any deficiencies caused by tumor compression (e.g., levothyroxine , hydrocortisone ).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Relatively common; comprise about 30% of all pituitary tumors.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
No specific risk factors; may occur sporadically.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Favorable with appropriate treatment; recurrence is rare after complete resection.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Vision loss, pituitary apoplexy, hypopituitarism.