Pituitary Adenoma
A pituitary adenoma is a non-cancerous growth in the pituitary gland — a pea-sized hormone-producing gland at the base of the brain.
When to get help quickly: Urgent review is important with sudden severe headache, vision loss, or signs of pituitary apoplexy (bleeding into the tumour).
Common symptoms
Some cause no symptoms. Others produce too much of a specific hormone (causing changes in growth, milk production, menstrual cycles, or metabolism) or press on nearby structures (causing headache or visual disturbance).
When imaging helps
Imaging shows the adenoma, measures its size, and shows whether it is pressing on the optic chiasm or other nearby structures.
What radiology does
MRI of the brain with focused pituitary views is the standard test.
What usually happens next
Treatment depends on size, symptoms, and hormone activity — observation, medications (especially for prolactinomas), endoscopic surgery, or radiation in selected cases.
Seen this on your report?
Your doctor or the radiologist who wrote it can tell you what it means for you.