The pituitary is a small gland about the size of a pea. It is located at the base of the brain, where it hangs from a slender stalk attached to the hypothalamus, which also contains nerves and blood vessels. The pituitary is responsible for controlling many hormone systems within the body. Sometimes a tumor develops in the pituitary. Tumors that allow for continued hormone production are known as functioning tumors; those that don't are nonfunctioning tumors.
Pituitary
The pituitary gland controls hormones in the body that are responsible for body metabolism, physical growth, handling stress and sexual organ functioning (which is done in conjunction with the thyroid and adrenal glands as well as the female ovaries and male testes).
Pituitary Tumors
Abnormal cell growth in the pituitary is known as a pituitary tumor. Pituitary tumors can be benign or cancerous. In addition, they can be considered a functioning pituitary tumor or a nonfunctioning one. According to the National Institute of Health, they are often undiagnosed due to their symptoms being too similar to the symptoms of other diseases.
Benign (Functioning) Pituitary Tumors
Tumors that are benign (noncancerous) usually don't spread to other parts of the body, and they grow at a slow pace. They can, however, still produce hormones and often produce too many of them, creating health problems. Medication is sometimes used to decrease such hormone production. Benign tumors that make hormones are known as functioning tumors.
Nonfunctioning Tumors
Nonfunctioning tumors, on the other hand, do not make hormones but can cause many symptoms, which can include vision problems, headaches, vomiting and nausea. These symptoms can be due to the tumor's growth inside the brain and that growth's impact on other brain functions (like vision). In addition, nonfunctioning tumors can cause a condition known as Cushing's disease as well as other abnormal hormone-related diseases.
Treatment
If the condition is recognized soon enough, three treatment options can be considered: removing the tumor surgically, killing its cells with radiation, or shrinking the tumor with drug therapy. However, if a nonfunctioning tumor grows large enough to press on carotid arteries, it can cause a stroke. If it presses too much on optic nerves, it can damage vision, and if it grows too large for the brain, other serious complications can be experienced as well.
Significance
According to the Mayo Clinic, the exact cause of pituitary tumors is not known, but genetic alterations are believed to play some role in their formation. And while tumors can run in families, hereditary factors do not always exist.
Tags: functioning tumors, grows large, hormone production, known functioning, known functioning tumors