What is a non-functional pituitary tumor

Regarding pituitary tumors, people may not be very clear about the classification of this disease. Pituitary tumors are a type of tumor that occurs due to lesions in the anterior lobe, posterior lobe, and residual cells of the craniopharyngeal epithelium. Males are slightly more likely to have this disease than females, and it often affects the patient's growth and development, reproductive function, and learning and working abilities. Pituitary tumors are divided into functional pituitary tumors and non-functional pituitary tumors. Today we will explain to you what non-functional pituitary tumors are.

Non-functional adenomas do not have endocrine symptoms. Symptoms occur only when the tumor increases in size and compresses the surrounding optic nerves, auditory nerves, and cranial nerves. Non-functional pituitary tumors do not have the ability to secrete hormones, so there will be no clinical symptoms of excessive hormones. In the early stages, when the tumor is very small, the patient does not feel any discomfort and can occasionally be discovered during pituitary imaging examinations (CT scans, MRIs). However, only when the tumor grows to a certain size will various symptoms appear, attracting the patient's attention. When diagnosed, the tumor is often large. Therefore, the impact of functional pituitary tumors on the human body is caused by local compression caused by tumor expansion. The clinical manifestations of non-functional pituitary tumors are divided into two parts. (1) The manifestation of tumor compression of the surrounding pituitary tissues is more common. The main symptoms are: headache, decreased vision, visual field defects (see Questions 31 and 32), and diplopia (when the nerves that control eye movement are compressed). X-ray examination of the sella turcica shows enlargement of the sella turcica and bone destruction. CT and MRI examinations can clearly show the specific location and actual size of the tumor. (2) The manifestation of tumor compression of normal pituitary tissue is the appearance of symptoms of endocrine dysfunction. Because the pituitary gland has a large storage capacity, symptoms of anterior pituitary hypofunction only appear after most of the normal pituitary tissue is destroyed. In other words, the manifestations of endocrine disorders in patients with non-functional pituitary tumors are generally mild, develop slowly, and appear later. Specific manifestations include hypogonadism (the earliest and most common), hypothyroidism, and adrenocortical insufficiency, which may cause growth and development disorders in children. Laboratory tests show that the concentrations of various pituitary hormones are reduced, and the concentrations of sex hormones, thyroid hormones, and adrenal cortex hormones are also secondarily reduced. Some patients also have impaired posterior pituitary function and develop diabetes insipidus.

After reading this article, everyone should have a clear understanding of what non-functional pituitary tumors are. I believe this article will be helpful to everyone.