What are the complications of pituitary tumors

Pituitary tumor is a common benign tumor with great harm, so we should not take it lightly. Once suspected early symptoms are found, we should go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time to avoid the disease from getting worse, which will cause more and more harm. However, there are still some complications of pituitary tumor. The earlier the treatment, the lower the probability of complications. In order to make patients take precautions and prepare, let us understand what are the complications of pituitary tumor?

1. Excessive secretion of pituitary hormones: For example, patients with prolactinoma may have symptoms such as menstrual disorders, amenorrhea, nipple galactorrhea, and decreased libido. Male prolactinoma patients mainly seek medical treatment with complaints such as decreased libido, breast tenderness, and impotence. Patients with growth hormone adenomas may develop gigantism in childhood and acromegaly in adults, with coarsening of hands and feet, excessive sweating, decreased libido, facial changes, and often combined with diabetes and osteoporosis. Most patients with pituitary adrenocorticotropic hormone adenomas (Cushing's disease) develop symptoms of increased glucocorticoid secretion, including characteristic manifestations such as full moon face, buffalo hump, centripetal obesity, hypertension, purple striae, and plethora of sanguinea, and are prone to diabetes and osteoporosis.

2. In some people, the swelling is so severe that it affects the normal pituitary function, resulting in symptoms of hypopituitarism such as fatigue, sweating, pale complexion, and less beard.

3. General symptoms: Headache, often pain in the retroorbital, frontal and bilateral temporal areas.

4. Symptoms of compression of surrounding structures: As the tumor grows in the sella turcica, it develops upward and compresses the optic chiasm or optic nerve, causing changes in vision and visual field. More than 90% of patients have decreased vision, which can also be monocular vision loss, and even cause blindness in one or both eyes.

Dietary guidance plays a great role in the recovery of pituitary tumor patients. After surgery, it is advisable to eat small and frequent meals, avoid eating in large mouthfuls and chewing hard, and keep the mouth clean before and after meals. If diabetes insipidus occurs after surgery, it is advisable to eat a light diet, pay attention to replenishing water, and monitor electrolytes to prevent water and electrolyte imbalance. Avoid tobacco, alcohol, spicy, cold and other irritating foods and stimulating drinks such as coffee and strong tea.

There may be these complications in the treatment of pituitary tumors, and patients must take precautions and prepare in advance.