Pituitary adenoma: causes, symptoms, methods of treatment and diagnosis

Adenoma of the pituitary gland is considered to be a fairly rare disease, which is associated with the formation of a tumor. As a rule, such tumors are benign and formed in the anterior pituitary gland of connective tissue elements. Quite often such a disease proceeds almost asymptomatically, which creates difficulties with detection and proper diagnosis.

Adenoma of the pituitary gland is considered quite a dangerous phenomenon, since the tumor changes, or prevents the normal operation of this gland. It is worth mentioning that hormones of the pituitary gland perform a lot of various functions, including regulation of the work of other glands of internal secretion. If the work of the hypothalamic-pituitary system is disturbed, it leads to violations of the functions of the remaining glands and a malfunction of the hormonal background.

Pituitary adenoma: causes . In fact, doctors are not aware of the causes of this disease. The only thing that it was possible to find out, is that the risk of appearance of a tumor increases after severe head injuries, strokes and brain injuries. Sometimes a serious infectious disease of the nervous system can lead to the development of the disease. Recently, it has been observed that some hormonal contraceptives can also stimulate tumor growth and development. In rare cases, the cause is the treatment of the fetus during pregnancy.

Pituitary adenoma: symptoms and course . There are many varieties of adenomas, which differ in size and activity. For example, inactive tumors complicate the pituitary gland, while the active ones are able to independently produce certain hormonal substances.

Symptoms of this disease can be completely diverse. For example, if the tumor is capable of releasing hormones, then a malfunctioning of the organs that are controlled by these substances is observed.

In addition, the tumor in the brain affects the eyesight. For example, the patient can change the field of vision, with time the atrophy of the optic nerve begins . With the growth of a tumor, dull headaches appear in a person, which can not always be suppressed with the help of pain medication. In addition, sometimes the tumor jams the nerve roots, which consequently affects the health of the patient with adenoma.

Pituitary adenoma: methods of diagnosis . As already mentioned, the tumor is often not accompanied by any visual symptoms. The first signs appear when the adenoma increases in size or in the case of the secretion of hormonal substances.

As a rule, in order to detect a tumor, use a whole complex of methods, which include computed tomography, X-ray studies. In addition, in parallel with the detection of a tumor, it is also necessary to carry out a blood test for hormones to determine tumor activity. With the help of such studies it is possible to determine not only the presence of a tumor, but also its size, activity, growth rate and all possible risks.

Pituitary adenoma: treatment . In modern medicine, several methods are distinguished that allow one to completely or partially get rid of pituitary adenoma. They use radiation therapy, conservative treatment, or methods of neurosurgery. Often, a combination of the above methods is used to remove the tumor.

Irradiation is effective only if the adenoma is relatively small. In addition, sometimes used and radiation methods, during which a single dose of radiation is administered to the tumor, which affects only the adenoma and does not affect the adjacent areas of the brain.

As for the surgical intervention, it is most often used in the presence of complications, for example, the formation of a cyst or a hemorrhage into a tumor. The operation can be performed both with the help of trepanation of the skull, and through the main window.

Let you do not have to think about this problem, be healthy!