Pituitary Tumors (Benign)

What are Pituitary Tumors (Benign)?

The pituitary gland is the “master gland,” coordinating multiple hormone systems. Pituitary tumors develop in about 10% of the population, and almost all are benign (non-cancerous).

But these benign tumors, called adenomas, can cause the pituitary gland to produce too low or too high levels of hormones. Types include:

• Non-functioning pituitary adenoma. These tumors have a number of different names, but they all mean the same thing: the tumor is not causing excess production of a hormone but instead is an abnormal, benign tissue growth that causes problems by taking up space. When the growth is greater than 10 mm in diameter, it can compress the pituitary gland, leading to insufficient pituitary functioning.
• Prolactinoma. This common benign tumor causes too much of a normal hormone, prolactin, which is important for the normal production of breast milk in women who are nursing. Otherwise, it’s present at low levels in both men and non-pregnant or non-nursing women.
• Acromegaly and gigantism. In acromegaly, a benign tumor produces too much growth hormone in an adult. Gigantism is a similar condition but is specific to children who are still able to grow abnormally in response to the abnormally high amount of growth hormone produced by the tumor. When these tumors occur in adults, they usually appear in middle age. Acromegaly is associated with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease.
• Cushing’s disease. Cushing syndromes result from long-term and excessive exposure to corticosteroids, causing physical and emotional symptoms. Abnormalities in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and/or adrenal glands can cause the balance of cortisol to be disturbed, leading to Cushing’s syndrome.

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