What kind of disease is pituitary tumor

Pituitary tumors, as tumors originating from the residual squamous epithelial cells of the adenohypophysis, neurohypophysis, and craniopharyngeal sac, are one of the more common intracranial tumors in neurosurgery. They have a high incidence rate, accounting for about 10% of intracranial tumors, and most of them are benign. Pituitary tumors not only affect the patient's endocrine function, but may also compress intracranial nerves and blood vessels due to their increased size, leading to a series of clinical symptoms, including pathological characteristics, clinical symptoms, affected populations, treatment methods, and inducing factors.

1. Pathological characteristics: Pituitary tumors mainly originate from the anterior and posterior lobes of the pituitary gland, as well as residual cells of the craniopharyngeal epithelium. Tumor types vary, and can be divided into prolactin type, growth hormone type, and other types according to the different endocrine cells secreted by the pituitary gland.

2. Clinical symptoms: Headache is one of the main symptoms, caused by the compression and stretching of the dura mater by the tumor. Visual field obstruction: the growth of the pituitary tumor above the saddle compresses the optic nerve system, which can lead to visual impairment and visual field defects. Endocrine symptoms, such as amenorrhea, lactation, sexual dysfunction, etc., depend on the type of pituitary tumor.

3. Affected population: Pituitary tumors are more common in adults with no obvious age difference, but are relatively rare in adolescents.

4. Treatment methods: mainly include surgical treatment, drug therapy and radiotherapy. Surgical treatment is usually more effective, but the recurrence rate is higher. Drug therapy is mainly suitable for specific types such as prolactin pituitary tumors. Radiotherapy is mostly used in cases where surgery is incomplete or there is a possibility of recurrence.

5. Predisposing factors: The predisposing factors of pituitary tumors are complex, including heredity, hypothalamic lesions, gene activation or cell cycle regulation disruption, environmental factors, etc.

As a complex intracranial tumor, the diagnosis and treatment of pituitary tumors require comprehensive consideration of multiple disciplines. You should seek medical attention as soon as possible and determine the appropriate treatment plan through professional examination and evaluation. At the same time, maintaining healthy living habits and avoiding exposure to harmful factors are of great significance in preventing the occurrence of pituitary tumors.