Symptoms of Pituitary Cancer

List of symptoms of Pituitary Cancer:

The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Pituitary Cancer includes the 15 symptoms listed below:

• Headaches
• Vision problems
• Visual disturbances
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Symptoms of various secondary hormonal problems including:
  • Female infertility
  • Loss of menstrual periods
  • Abnormal growth
  • High blood pressure
  • Heat intolerance
  • Cold intolerance
  • Skin changes
  • Body changes
  • Galactorrhea

Note that Pituitary Cancer symptoms usually refers to various symptoms known to a patient, but the phrase Pituitary Cancer signs may refer to those signs only noticable by a doctor.

More ways to research these symptoms: To research other symptoms use the symptom center, or to research causes of more than one symptom in combination, try our multi-symptom search.

Research More About Pituitary Cancer

Do I have Pituitary Cancer?

• Pituitary Cancer: Introduction
• Pituitary Cancer: Diagnostic Testing to confirm diagnosis
• Home Diagnostic Testing
• Alternative diagnoses and misdiagnosis for Pituitary Cancer
• How serious is it?
• Treatments for Pituitary Cancer
• More about Pituitary Cancer

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical tests related to Pituitary Cancer:

• Colon & Rectal Cancer: Home Testing
  • Home Colorectal Cancer Tests
  • Home Fecal Occult Bleeding Tests
• Thyroid: Home Testing:
  • Home Thyroid Function Tests
  • Home TSH Tests
  • Home Adrenal Function Tests

Wrongly Diagnosed with Pituitary Cancer?

The list of other diseases or medical conditions that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses for Pituitary Cancer includes:

• Multiple endocrine neoplasia
• Prolactinoma

See the full list of 2 alternative diagnoses for Pituitary Cancer

More about symptoms of Pituitary Cancer:

More information about symptoms of Pituitary Cancer and related conditions:

• Other diseases with similar symptoms and common misdiagnoses
• Tests to determine if these are the symptoms of Pituitary Cancer
• Symptoms that may be caused by complications of Pituitary Cancer
• Underlying causes of Pituitary Cancer

Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms

Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom.

• Abnormal growth - see all causes of Growth symptoms
• Body changes - see all causes of Body symptoms
• Cold intolerance - see all causes of Cold intolerance
• Female infertility - see all causes of Female infertility
• Galactorrhea - see all causes of Galactorrhea
• Headaches - see all causes of Headache
• Heat intolerance - see all causes of Heat intolerance
• High blood pressure - see all causes of High blood pressure
• Loss of menstrual periods - see all causes of Amenorrhea
• Nausea - see all causes of Nausea
• Skin changes - see all causes of Skin changes
• Vision problems - see all causes of Vision changes
• Visual disturbances - see all causes of Vision distortion
• Vomiting - see all causes of Vomiting

Medical Books Online about Pituitary Cancer

Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Pituitary Cancer are available from published medical books for more detailed information about Pituitary Cancer.

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

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Symptoms of Pituitary Cancer: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the symptoms of Pituitary Cancer.

Diabetes insipidus: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

The patient’s history typically shows an abrupt onset of extreme polyuria (usually 4 to 16 L/day of dilute urine but sometimes as much as 30 L/day). As a result, the patient is extremely thirsty and drinks great quantities of water to compensate for the body’s water loss. This disorder may also result in nocturia. In severe cases, it may lead to extreme fatigue from inadequate rest caused by frequent voiding and excessive thirst.

Other characteristic features of diabetes insipidus include signs and symptoms of dehydration (poor tissue turgor, dry mucous membranes, constipation, muscle weakness, dizziness, and hypotension). These symptoms usually begin abruptly, commonly appearing within 1 to 2 days after a basal skull fracture, a stroke, or surgery. Relieving cerebral edema or increased intracranial pressure may cause all of these symptoms to subside just as rapidly as they began.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Pituitary tumors: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

As pituitary adenomas grow, they replace normal glandular tissue and enlarge the sella turcica, which houses the pituitary gland. The resulting pressure on adjacent intracranial structures produces these typical clinical manifestations:

Neurologic:

❑frontal headache

❑ visual symptoms, beginning with blurring and progressing to field cuts (hemianopias) and then unilateral blindness

❑ cranial nerve involvement (III, IV, VI) from lateral extension of the tumor, resulting in strabismus; double vision, with compensating head tilting and dizziness; conjugate deviation of gaze; nystagmus; lid ptosis; and limited eye movements

❑ increased intracranial pressure (ICP) (secondary hydrocephalus)

❑ personality changes or dementia, if the tumor breaks through to the frontal lobes

❑ seizures

❑ rhinorrhea, if the tumor erodes the base of the skull

❑ pituitary apoplexy secondary to hemorrhagic infarction of the adenoma. Such hemorrhage may lead to both cardiovascular and adrenocortical collapse.

Endocrine:

❑ hypopituitarism, to some degree, in all patients with adenoma, becoming more obvious as the tumor replaces normal gland tissue (signs and symptoms include amenorrhea, decreased libido and impotence in men, skin changes [waxy appearance, decreased wrinkles, and pigmentation], loss of axillary and pubic hair, lethargy, weakness, increased fatigability, intolerance to cold, and constipation [because of decreased corticotropin and thyroid-stimulating hormone production])

❑ addisonian crisis, precipitated by stress and resulting in nausea, vomiting, hypoglycemia, hypotension, and circulatory collapse

❑ diabetes insipidus, resulting from extension to the hypothalamus

❑ prolactin-secreting adenomas (in 70% to 75%), with amenorrhea and galactorrhea

❑ GH-secreting adenomas, with acromegaly

❑ corticotropin-secreting adenomas, with Cushing's syndrome.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Malignant spinal neoplasms: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Extramedullary tumors produce symptoms by pressing on nerve roots, the spinal cord, and spinal vessels; intramedullary tumors, by destroying the parenchyma and compressing adjacent areas. Because intramedullary tumors may extend over several spinal cord segments, their symptoms are more variable than those of extramedullary tumors.

The following clinical effects are likely with all malignant spinal cord neoplasms:

❑Pain — Most severe directly over the tumor, radiates around the trunk or down the limb on the affected side and is unrelieved by bed rest. It may worsen when lying down or with straining, coughing, or sneezing. Pain can be diffuse, occurring over all extremities. Generally, it progressively worsens and isn't relieved by medication.

❑ Motor symptoms — Asymmetric spastic muscle weakness, decreased muscle tone, exaggerated reflexes, and a positive Babinski's sign. If the tumor is at the level of the cauda equina, muscle flaccidity, muscle wasting, weakness, and progressive diminution in tendon reflexes are characteristic.

❑ Sensory deficits — Contralateral loss of pain, temperature, and touch sensation (Brown-Séquard's syndrome). These losses are less obvious to the patient than functional motor changes. Caudal lesions invariably produce paresthesias in the nerve distribution pathway of the involved roots.

❑Bowel and bladder symptoms — Urine retention is an inevitable late sign with cord compression. Early signs include incomplete emptying or difficulty with the urine stream, which is usually unnoticed or ignored. Cauda equina tumors cause bladder and bowel incontinence due to flaccid paralysis.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Diabetes insipidus: Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)

The patient’s history typically shows an abrupt onset of extreme polyuria (usually 4 to 16 L/day of dilute urine, but sometimes as much as 30 L/day). As a result, the patient is extremely thirsty and drinks great quantities of water to compensate for the body’s water loss. This disorder may also result in hourly nocturia.

If the patient is unable to obtain adequate quantities of water, features of diabetes insipidus include signs and symptoms of dehydration (poor tissue turgor, dry mucous membranes, constipation, muscle weakness, dizziness, and hypotension). Polyuria usually begins abruptly, commonly appearing within 1 to 2 days after a basal skull fracture, a stroke, or surgery.

Relieving cerebral edema or increased intracranial pressure may cause all of these symptoms to subside just as rapidly as they began.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Pituitary tumors: Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)

As pituitary adenomas grow, they replace normal glandular tissue and enlarge the sella turcica, which houses the pituitary gland. The resulting pressure on adjacent intracranial structures produces typical clinical features.

Neurologic features

❑ Frontal headache

❑ Visual symptoms, beginning with blurring and progressing to field cuts (hemianopias) and then unilateral blindness

❑ Cranial nerve involvement (III, IV, VI) from lateral extension of the tumor, resulting in strabismus; double vision, with compensating head tilting and dizziness; conjugate deviation of gaze; nystagmus; lid ptosis; and limited eye movements

❑ Increased intracranial pressure (secondary hydrocephalus)

❑ Personality changes or dementia, if the tumor breaks through to the frontal lobes

❑ Seizures

❑ Rhinorrhea, if the tumor erodes the base of the skull

❑ Pituitary apoplexy secondary to hemorrhagic infarction of the adenoma. Such hemorrhage may lead to both cardiovascular and adrenocortical collapse.

Endocrine features

❑ Hypopituitarism, to some degree, in all patients with adenoma, becoming more obvious as the tumor replaces normal gland tissue; signs and symptoms include amenorrhea, decreased libido and impotence in men, skin changes (waxy appearance, decreased wrinkles, and pigmentation), loss of axillary and pubic hair, lethargy, weakness, increased fatigability, intolerance to cold or heat, and constipation (because of decreased corticotropin and thyrotropin production)

❑ Addisonian crisis, precipitated by stress and resulting in nausea, vomiting, hypoglycemia, hypotension, and circulatory collapse

❑ Diabetes insipidus, resulting from extension to the hypothalamus

❑ Prolactin-secreting adenomas (in 70% to 75%), with amenorrhea and galactorrhea; growth hormone-secreting adenomas, with acromegaly; and corticotropin-secreting adenomas, with Cushing’s syndrome.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Article Excerpts About Symptoms of Pituitary Cancer:

Symptoms of pituitary tumors may include headaches, vision problems, nausea and vomiting, or any of the problems caused by the production of too many hormones such as infertility or loss of menstrual periods in women, abnormal growth, high blood pressure, heat or cold intolerance, and other skin and body changes. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Pituitary Tumors Information Page: NINDS)

Pituitary Cancer as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions

When considering symptoms of Pituitary Cancer, it is also important to consider Pituitary Cancer as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Pituitary Cancer may cause:

• Amenorrhoea
• Diabetes insipidus, non-nephrogenic
• Erectile dysfunction
• Female infertility
• Hyperthyroidism
• Hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism
• Hypopituitarism
• Male infertility
• Nelson's syndrome
• Optic atrophy
• Optic nerve disorder
• Precocious puberty
• Primary brain neoplasm

Medical articles and books on symptoms:

These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:

• Diagnostic Testing for a Diagnosis of Pituitary Cancer
• Research Alternative Diagnoses for Pituitary Cancer
• How serious is Pituitary Cancer?
• More about Pituitary Cancer
• Online Diagnosis
• Self Diagnosis Pitfalls
• Pitfalls of Online Diagnosis
• Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
• Lesser known silent killer diseases
• Books on signs and symptoms

Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis

About signs and symptoms of Pituitary Cancer:

The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Pituitary Cancer. This signs and symptoms information for Pituitary Cancer has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Pituitary Cancer signs or Pituitary Cancer symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Pituitary Cancer may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Pituitary Cancer symptoms.