Signs of a pituitary tumor include problems with vision and certain physical changes. Signs and symptoms can be caused by the growth of the tumor and/or by hormones the tumor makes or by other conditions. Some tumors may not cause signs or symptoms. Check with your doctor if you have any of these problems.
Signs and symptoms of a nonfunctioning pituitary tumor
Sometimes, a pituitary tumor may press on or damage parts of the pituitary gland, causing it to stop making one or more hormones. Too little of a certain hormone will affect the work of the gland or organ that the hormone controls. The following signs and symptoms may occur:
- Headache.
- Some loss of vision.
- Loss of body hair.
- In women, less frequent or no menstrual periods or no milk from the breasts.
- In men, loss of facial hair, growth of breast tissue, and impotence.
- In women and men, lower sex drive.
- In children, slowed growth and sexual development.
Most of the tumors that make luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) do not make enough extra hormone to cause signs and symptoms. These tumors are considered to be nonfunctioning tumors.
Signs and symptoms of a functioning pituitary tumor
When a functioning pituitary tumor makes extra hormones, the signs and symptoms will depend on the type of hormone being made.
Too much prolactin may cause:
- Headache.
- Some loss of vision.
- Less frequent or no menstrual periods or menstrual periods with a very light flow.
- Trouble becoming pregnant or an inability to become pregnant.
- Impotence in men.
- Lower sex drive.
- Flow of breast milk in a woman who is not pregnant or breast-feeding.
Too much adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) may cause:
- Headache.
- Some loss of vision.
- Weight gain in the face, neck, and trunk of the body, and thin arms and legs.
- A lump of fat on the back of the neck.
- Thin skin that may have purple or pink stretch marks on the chest or abdomen.
- Easy bruising.
- Growth of fine hair on the face, upper back, or arms.
- Bones that break easily.
- Anxiety, irritability, and depression.
Too much growth hormone may cause:
- Headache.
- Some loss of vision.
- In adults, acromegaly (growth of the bones in the face, hands, and feet). In children, the whole body may grow much taller and larger than normal.
- Tingling or numbness in the hands and fingers.
- Snoring or pauses in breathing during sleep.
- Joint pain.
- Sweating more than usual.
- Dysmorphophobia (extreme dislike of or concern about one or more parts of the body).
Too much thyroid-stimulating hormone may cause:
- Irregular heartbeat.
- Shakiness.
- Weight loss.
- Trouble sleeping.
- Frequent bowel movements.
- Sweating.
Other general signs and symptoms of pituitary tumors:
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Confusion.
- Dizziness.
- Seizures.
- Runny or "drippy" nose (cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord leaks into the nose).