How long does it take for a Pituitary adenoma to grow 2 cm?

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My wife had a pituitary adenoma (macro) that had grown to 2 centimeters. It put pressure on her optic nerve and had to be removed. She was diagnosed 2 months later with Multiple Sclerosis Relapsing Remitting because of continued eye pain. How long does it take an adenoma to grow to 2 cm and was that the cause for eye pain. Did she have to have the operation (null adenoma) ?
By "null adenoma", I will take that to mean a non-functioning adenoma? In any case, a tumor of that size, pressing on the optic nerve did require surgery.

There are many types of pituitary tumors and a few can be reduced in size using medications.

As for how long it takes to grow, you should take a look at her pathology. Some would take a while, but some can be more aggressive and grow in a short period of time so only by knowing the specific pathology of the lesion will you have more information.

The MS may or may not be related. Many of the pituitary diseases are considered to be auto-immune and so is MS and often when you have one auto-immune disease, you will get another (and another). I got another auto-immune disease afterward, as well as I had others before. Some of my other friends with pituitary tumors on the other hand, did not.  (+ info)

How big is a 4mm adenoma in comparison to the pituitary glad?

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I just came from my first endo appt, and she told me i have a 4mm pituitary adenoma. I have to undergo more testing but with all that info i forgot to ask...how big is that compared to the gland itself?
i know the adenoma is 4 millimeters but how big is the gland itself?
The pituitary is about the size and shape of a kidney bean so your adenoma is smaller and considered a microadenoma. I can't stress enough how important it is to get a good pituitary endocrinologist to treat this. If she is not a specialist in pituitary disorders find another Dr...you can look at www.pituitary.org and do a Dr. search. Also, this is a great table to look at your symptoms and see which hormones are affected: http://www.goodhormonehealth.com/symptoms/gland_hormone_symptom_table.html Also, some Drs are in the stone age about growth hormone and if you are deficient will not prescribe it. Its very important and studies show adults who are deficient have a higher mortallity rate..not to mention the awful symptoms you get.  (+ info)

As a pituitary dwarf with a benign pituitary Adenoma, and am producing HGH, is the Adenoma secreting or no ?

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What's important is the level of HGH...Care to reveal #'s?  (+ info)

Can you die from a pituitary adenoma?

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If so what is the percentage? Can you tell if a pituitary micro-adenoma has turned into a macro-adenoma? Can you die from that too?
A pituitary adenoma is a type of tumor of the pituitary gland. This gland is located basically in the middle of the head, just below the brain and above/between several large sinuses. Microadenomas are very common and generally harmless, and one study estimated that as many as 1/5 people have one when they die and have no noticeable problems as a result.

However sometimes the adenoma can cause problems; because of its size (it can compress the optic nerves or blood vessels) in which case a person might suffer progressive blindness or a stroke, or because it can secrete excess pituitary hormone. The hormone and resulting symptoms vary depending on the exact location and cell type, but for example it may release growth hormone or thyroid hormone. Like I said many people have a microadenoma and don't even know it, don't have any symptoms. But if begins to cause problems, there are multiple drugs and surgical procedures which can remove it.

With all of the available treatment options it's pretty rare to die from a micro- or even macroadenoma, but again it's something to keep in the back of your mind if you develop strange symptoms. These are too many and too various to go into here, and in any event is best done in person with your primary physician. However the most common one I will say is vision changes, usually a noticeable decrease in the peripheral vision of both eyes that results from the tumor growing and compressing the nerves responsible for sight. Hope this helps.  (+ info)

Could my pituitary adenoma be the cause of this strange eye problem?

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Hello. I was just recently diagnosed with Cushing's Disease (finally.) The cause being an ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma. The doctors asked me if I have had blurry, or double vision and immediately replied "no" without thinking of the eye problem that I DO have. My eyes shake sometimes. It's very very rapid horizontal movement, almost like vibrating. It only lasts for about a second, but during that second my vision IS blurry, obviously. Could this be a sign of optic atrophy (which IS a symptom?) Could the adenoma have been the cause? I feel stupid for forgetting to tell this to my doctor. I will of course, but would just like to know what you all think. I am not trying to fit my symptoms with this disease, but having ONE disease to explain all of my symptoms is much more satisfying that multiple overlapping ones.
Pituitary adenoma does cause eye problems. The symptoms depend on where the tumor is located, usually causing loss of temporal vision if the tumor is in the center of the chiasm. This loss is progressive and, if not treated is permanent! The blurry vision you describe MAY be a los of visual fields.

The eye movements you are describing: shaking of the eyes vertical or horizontal are called nystagmus. This problem has another cause. You should try to tell your doctor.  (+ info)

what else beside pituitary adenoma could this be?

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Radiologist interprets ct scan of sinus: "Lobulated opacity in the posterior aspect of the left sphenoid sinus, which is contiguous with the sella through a defect in the floor of the sella. Uncertain etiology. could be a pituitary adenoma although this is unusual..." CT scan taken for constant nasal drip and was otherwise unremarkable.
Sinus polyp, mucocele, angiofibroma (not likely), hypothalamic hamartoma, aneurysm, metastasis, among others.  (+ info)

What are the causes apart from Pituitary Adenoma for a non pregnant female to start lactating?

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My daughter is 28yo and her youngest is 18mths. She finished breast feeding about 9mths ago and all of a sudden she has started lactating. She is not taking OCP. Any suggestions you medical gurus out there??
I think a pit adenoma or cyst would be the biggest possibility. These are usually non-cancerous and treatable, but the worry is the damage being done to the pitutiary. Has she all her hormones tested? This is the first thing that needs to be done. If more than one hormone is out of range then it points to a pit tumor or cyst. The next step would be a pit MRI. This is my favorite site for symptoms of pit hormones: http://www.goodhormonehealth.com/symptoms/gland_hormone_symptom_table.html Have your daughter look at this table to see if she has other symptoms. She should be seen by a pitutiary endocrinologist--not just by a regular endo who primarily sees just diabetes patients. go to www.pituitary.org for Dr. listings.  (+ info)

How long does it take to recover after surgery to for pituitary adenoma?

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Also, What kind of post-surgery care is needed? What are the restrictions after that surgery? What kind of things the patient can and cannot do after the surgery?

My husband is having this surgery in a couple of weeks and we have 1 year old twins. Will he be able to carry the babies? move around the house? etc?

Thank you,
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What is the aproximate cost for a transsphenoidal surgery of a pituitary adenoma?

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Have no clue how much it costs in the U.S. In Mexico it costs around 60 thousand dollars.
It will probably cost four times that much in the US. I've read a lot about people going to India for operations recently. For that kind of money it might be worthwhile to check into it.
Best luck.  (+ info)

I would like to get an advice about pituitary micro adenoma which affects the growth hormone.?

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There are also physical changes taking place. Laboratory shows that Insulin growth factor and serum human growth hormone are increased. There are no medicines taken yet. What will be the next step? Do medicines can decrease the tumor or it should be removed surgically? Is there any life changes after the operation? Thank you. Hope I can get response soon. Thank you.
It can be treated with medications now since advances have been made - but your case has to be evaluated and followed by a neuro-endocrinologist, not just any endo.

What you have is called acromegaly. You need to get to the proper doctor for a full evaluation so that you can get treated properly as a lousy doctor may tell you to wait until things are worse.

If you do get an operation, it is done via the nose, and once you recover, you still need to be monitored for the rest of your life for recurrence and for other hormones as some are lost during surgery and you may need replacements.

It is also important to get followed by a good eye doctor and in your case, a dentist.  (+ info)

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