What are the early symptoms of pituitary tumors?
Sep 06, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Guan Yanlei
Introduction
Early-stage pituitary adenomas may cause headaches, as the tumor compresses the meninges—structures rich in pain-sensitive nerve endings. If the tumor originates within the sella turcica and grows upward, it may impair vision in one eye and, in severe cases, lead to blindness. In early stages, pituitary adenomas can stimulate their target endocrine glands to overproduce sex hormones, resulting in symptoms such as hypersexuality, amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, breast enlargement, and prolonged lactation.
Early-stage pituitary adenomas may present with symptoms such as headache, visual disturbances, and gonadotropin hypersecretion. Specific manifestations include the following:
1. Headache
A pituitary adenoma may compress the meninges; when the tumor reaches a certain size, it can involve pain-sensitive tissues, resulting in headache.
2. Visual disturbances
If the tumor grows within the sella turcica, it may extend upward and compress the optic chiasm or bilateral optic nerves, leading to visual changes—including decreased vision in one eye, or even unilateral or bilateral blindness.
3. Gonadotropin hypersecretion
In early stages, the pituitary adenoma may stimulate its target glands to overproduce sex hormones. In males, this may manifest as hypersexuality, whereas females may experience amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, breast enlargement, or prolonged lactation.
Pituitary adenomas are heterogeneous in type, and their early symptoms may vary accordingly. Most patients exhibit no obvious clinical symptoms initially; however, because these tumors often grow rapidly, associated symptoms may differ significantly. Therefore, prompt medical evaluation and treatment are essential.
