The UF Department of Neurosurgery Pituitary Tumor Center offers comprehensive care for all pituitary tumors. Under the direction of neurosurgeon Dr. Steven N. Roper, the Pituitary Tumor Center provides patients with comprehensive care for all pituitary tumors.

Computer image of intraoperative stereotactic guidance system for transsphenoidal surgeries to treat pituitary tumor.

MRI of pituitary tumor.

Because of the unique nature of the pituitary gland and its impact on many body systems, patients with these tumors receive coordinated care from a variety of medical specialists including UF endocrinologists.

The Pituitary Tumor Center team treats patients with a full range of pituitary tumors. Treatment is provided for hormone-secreting tumors that cause hormonal disorders including:

• Acromegaly
• Cushing’s disease
• Prolactinoma

Faculty physicians also provide treatment for non-hormonal macro-adenoma tumors.

Learn more about pituitary tumors.

Depending on the location, size and type of tumor, patients may receive a number of different treatments. Medication is used to treat prolactin secreting prolactinomas. Radiation therapy is sometimes employed after surgery to reduce tumor size. In addition, radiosurgery may be a viable choice for certain patients.

Download "Treatment of Pituitary Tumors: A guide for you and your family"

The most frequent surgical option for pituitary tumors is transsphenoidal surgery. In the case of very large tumors that cannot be removed using this approach, it may be necessary to perform a craniotomy.

Dr. Roper and his team are experts in these surgeries, performing more than 70 operations annually. The most frequent technique is the endonasal procedure for transsphenoidal surgery. This approach, performed through the nose, reduces the length of the operation and does not require an incision on the face.

Treatment of a pituitary tumor may include drug and/or radiation therapy, surgery, or a combination of these treatments. There are also some tumors which are best observed without treatment because of their very slow growth.

About Pituitary Tumors

Introduction

The pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain, is a small organ about the size of an acorn. The pituitary gland is sometimes referred to as the "master gland" because it releases substances that control the basic functions of growth, metabolism, and reproduction.The pituitary gland is divided into two parts called lobes. These are referred to as the anterior and posterior lobes. Each lobe releases special substances, or hormones, which control basic activities within the body.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

The symptoms one experiences from the pituitary tumor are often determined by the type of tumor. A tumor that secretes hormones produces symptoms by releasing too much of the hormone. Some tumors cause the gland to stop releasing enough hormones. In this case symptoms arise from lack of hormones. A pituitary tumor may also cause symptoms by growing and pressing on the structures that surround the gland, like the nerves to the eyes.

A pituitary tumor can cause an increase in any of the anterior pituitary hormones listed:

• growth hormone (GH) (associated with acromegaly)
• drenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) (associated with Cushing's Disease)
• prolactin (associated with prolacinoma)

For pituitary tumors that do not secrete hormones, the initial symptoms may not occur until the tumor presses on the structures surrounding the normal pituitary gland. Once the tumor is larger than 1 centimeter, it is called a macroadenoma.

Because the pituitary gland is located within the skull, when it becomes large, it may cause headaches that get worse as the tumor grows. Also, since the pituitary gland is located near the eyes, it can press on the nerves to the eyes and cause loss of vision. Loss of peripheral vision may occur first and be undetected. This may progress to eventual blindness if the pressure is not removed from the nerve.

The tumor may also press on the nerves that move the eye and cause double vision. If the tumor is very large it may press on other parts of the brain and cause problems with memory, weakness, or numbness.

For more information about pituitary tumors, visit the UF Department of Neurosurgery.

Information

For more information or to schedule a new patient appointment, please call 352-273-9000 or visit the UF Department of Neurosurgery.

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