About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffA pituitary tumor can cause trouble physically and biochemically. Large pituitary tumors — those measuring about 3/4 inch (19 millimeters) or larger — are known as macroadenomas. Smaller tumors are called microadenomas. Macroadenomas can exert physical pressure on the rest of the pituitary gland and nearby structures.
Symptoms related to tumor pressure
Signs and symptoms of pressure from a pituitary tumor may include:
- Headache
- Vision loss, particularly loss of peripheral vision
- Nausea and vomiting
- Symptoms of pituitary hormone deficiency
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Cold intolerance
- Constipation
- Low blood pressure
- Body hair loss
- Sexual dysfunction
- Unintended weight loss or gain
Symptoms related to hormone level changes
Some pituitary tumors, called functioning tumors, also produce hormones. Generally, this causes an overproduction of hormones, which has various biochemical effects. Different types of functioning tumors can develop in your pituitary gland, each causing specific signs and symptoms.
Adrenocorticotropic hormone-secreting (ACTH) tumors. ACTH tumors produce the hormone adrenocorticotropin, which stimulates your adrenal glands to make the hormone cortisol. Cushing's syndrome results from your adrenal glands producing too much cortisol. Signs and symptoms of Cushing's syndrome may include:
- Fat accumulation around your midsection and upper back
- Exaggerated facial roundness
- A characteristic hump on the upper part of your back
- High blood pressure
- Muscle weakness
- Bruising
- Stretch marks
- Thinning of your skin
Growth hormone-secreting tumors. These tumors produce excess growth hormone. The effects from excess growth hormone (acromegaly) may include:
- Coarsened facial features
- Enlarged hands and feet
- Excess sweating
- High blood pressure
- Heart problems
- Degenerative arthritis
- Misaligned teeth (malocclusion)
Accelerated and excessive linear growth (gigantism) may occur in children and adolescents.
Prolactin-secreting tumors. Overproduction of prolactin from a pituitary tumor (prolactinoma) can cause a decrease in normal levels of sex hormones — estrogen in women and testosterone in men. Excessive prolactin in the blood (hyperprolactinemia) can affect men and women differently.
In women, prolactinoma may cause:
- Irregular menstrual periods (oligomenorrhea)
- Lack of menstrual periods (amenorrhea)
- Milky discharge from the breasts (galactorrhea)
In men, a prolactin-producing tumor may cause male hypogonadism. Signs and symptoms may include:
- Enlarged breasts (gynecomastia)
- Erectile dysfunction (ED)
- Infertility
- Decrease in body hair
- Loss of sex drive
Thyroid-stimulating hormone-secreting tumors. When a pituitary tumor overproduces thyroid-stimulating hormone, your thyroid gland makes too much of the hormone thyroxine. This is a rare cause of hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid disease. Hyperthyroidism can accelerate your body's metabolism, causing:
- Sudden weight loss
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Nervousness or irritability
When to see a doctor
If you develop signs and symptoms that may be associated with a pituitary tumor, see your doctor to determine the exact cause. Pituitary tumors often can be treated effectively to return your hormone levels to normal and alleviate your signs and symptoms.
If you know that multiple endocrine neoplasia, type I (MEN I) runs in your family, talk to your doctor about periodic tests that may help detect a pituitary tumor early.
- Pituitary tumors information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/pituitary_tumors/pituitary_tumors.htm. Accessed April 15, 2010.
- Pituitary tumors. American Cancer Society. http://documents.cancer.org/6028.00/6028.00.pdf. Accessed April 15, 2010.
- Pituitary tumors. American Brain Tumor Association. http://www.abta.org/Tumor_&_Treatment_Info/Pituitary_Tumors/233. Accessed April 15, 2010.
- Pituitary Tumors Treatment. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/pdq/treatment/pituitary. Accessed April 15, 2010.
- Semple PL, et al. Pituitary apoplexy. Neurosurgery. 2005;56:65.
Find Mayo Clinic on