What examinations should be done for pituitary tumors

After the symptoms of suspected pituitary tumor appear, everyone needs to go to a professional hospital for diagnosis in time. If treatment is delayed, it may cause various complications. Many patients are very eager to know what examinations should be done for pituitary tumors in the hospital. So, what examinations should be done for pituitary tumors? Let's take a look.

Methods for detecting pituitary tumors:

1. Clinical manifestation diagnosis: The patient's discomfort symptoms and physical changes after illness are the most basic materials for diagnosis. Some subtle manifestations may serve as the basis for primary diagnosis and differential diagnosis.

2. Endocrine examination: Since most pituitary tumors have the function of secreting hormones, when the clinical manifestations are not obvious and the imaging cannot indicate the presence of a tumor, the hormones of the pituitary tumor have already changed. Some cases of pituitary tumors can be diagnosed simply by endocrine testing. For example, in most cases of ACTH cell adenoma, the tumor cannot be seen from imaging. Rare displaced pituitary tumors are located in the chest cavity, abdominal cavity and other parts, and are mainly diagnosed based on endocrine examinations.

3. Imaging examination:

(1) Plain skull X-ray: This is a relatively basic diagnostic method. It is used to determine the presence of a tumor and to confirm the diagnosis based on changes in the sella turcica bone and calcification in the sella turcica.

(2) CT scan: It is only of diagnostic value for large pituitary tumors. Tiny pituitary tumors are easily missed and cannot be used as the primary tool for diagnosing pituitary tumors.

(3) MRI examination: It is the most important tool for diagnosing pituitary tumors. It can clearly show the size, shape, location, and relationship of the tumor with surrounding structures. Even tumors with a diameter of 2-3 mm can be displayed. However, the signals of some tumors are similar to those of the surrounding normal pituitary tissues. It is difficult to distinguish between the two, and a combination of clinical manifestations and endocrine examination is needed for diagnosis.

After comparing the above methods, I believe everyone has already known how to check for pituitary tumors. I hope this will be helpful to everyone.