Does pituitary adenoma need to be taken seriously? What are the hazards of pituitary adenoma?

Clinically, pituitary adenomas are usually divided into two categories: one that has the function of secreting hormones, and the other that does not. The former affects the secretion of hormones and causes harm to patients, while the latter relies on its "huge body" to "run rampant" in the human brain and affect people's normal lives.

Let us first get to know the location of the "main battlefield" - the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is located in the "main traffic artery" of the skull, and is surrounded by very complex and delicate important structures, including: optic nerve, optic chiasm, pituitary stalk. On the side wall of the cavernous sinus (blue cribriform structure), arranged from top to bottom: oculomotor nerve, trochlear nerve, ophthalmic branch and maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve, and the abducens nerve and cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery located in the center of the cavernous sinus. Among them, the abducens nerve and the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery are closer to the pituitary gland, so they are more easily injured.

It can be seen that any operation performed on the pituitary gland can be described as walking on thin ice or facing the abyss. However, there is a kind of pituitary tumor that can "squeeze" the pituitary gland and its surrounding tissues.

We call this type of pituitary adenoma that "squeezes" the surrounding tissues "non-functional pituitary adenoma". It is like a "lazy man" that only "gets fat" but does not work (does not secrete hormones). But unlike a real lazy man, when the "fat pituitary gland" gains weight to a certain extent, it will compress the normal pituitary gland and other surrounding tissues, thus bringing adverse effects to the body:

1. Under the influence of oppression, normal pituitary tissue will have dysfunction and normal hormone secretion will be reduced, so this type of pituitary gland can be in a low-functioning state.

2. If the tumor continues to grow, it will also compress the normal structures around the pituitary gland (space-occupying effect), which can cause symptoms such as headaches and visual field defects.

Doctors' tips: Although pituitary adenomas are small in size, they are very harmful and require clinical intervention as soon as possible after discovery. For tumors that cannot be controlled by drugs, surgery can be performed to remove the tumor, relieve the pressure on surrounding tissues, and relieve symptoms.