Symptoms of pituitary adenoma

summary

Pituitary adenoma is a benign tumor originated from the anterior and posterior pituitary and residual cells of craniopharyngeal duct epithelium. It is the most common sellar lesion, accounting for 8% - 15% of intracranial tumors. Pituitary adenomas often have endocrine gland function, which can cause a variety of endocrine dysfunction. Symptoms of pituitary adenoma? Let's talk about it

Symptoms of pituitary adenoma

The symptoms of early pituitary adenoma are often not obvious. With the increase of tumor volume, upward extension and compression of optic chiasm, visual field defect may appear. The outer upper quadrant is first affected, and gradually the defect may expand to double temporal hemianopia. If the treatment is not timely, the visual field defect may be enlarged, accompanied by visual acuity loss, and eventually total blindness. If the tumor is on one side, it can cause unilateral hemiblindness or blindness.

According to the direction of tumor growth, it can lead to different clinical manifestations. When the tumor grows backward and upward, it oppresses the pituitary stalk or hypothalamus, causing polydipsia and polyuria; When the cavernous sinus was invaded laterally, oculomotor nerve or abducent nerve paralysis appeared; If the tumor breaks through the sellar septum and then grows upward, resulting in ventral frontal lobe, mental symptoms may occur; If the tumor grows up backward and oppresses the anterior part of the third ventricle and interventricular foramen, resulting in obstructive hydrocephalus, headache, vomiting and other symptoms of increased intracranial pressure will appear; If the tumor grows backward, it can compress the brain stem and cause coma and paralysis.

In the process of tumor growth, due to poor blood supply or abnormal growth of tumor blood vessels, tumor bleeding and necrosis of tumor tissue can occur, resulting in rapid increase of tumor volume. If the tumor capsule ruptures, there will be severe headache, nausea and vomiting, even blindness and coma, which need emergency surgical treatment.

matters needing attention

For pituitary tumor patients, we must maintain a good attitude, under the correct guidance of the doctor, active treatment, the condition is likely to get further remission, do not take medicine, otherwise it will aggravate the development of the disease, which is not conducive to the recovery of the body.