Pituitary and Skull Base Tumor Symptoms and Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and medical history, and will perform a physical exam.

Pituitary Tumor Symptoms

Symptoms of a pituitary tumor may include:

Headache
Dizziness
Nausea
Weakness
Unexplained changes in weight
Growth of skull, hands, and feet
Changes in facial appearance, including wider spacing of teeth
Anxiety, nervousness, moodiness, or depression
Problems with eyesight, such as double or blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision, or sudden blindness
Irregular menstrual cycles (women)
Erectile dysfunction (men)

Complications may include:

To make the diagnosis, your doctor may order various types of tests and procedures.

Blood and urine tests will measure your hormone levels and blood sugar values. These tests can identify other conditions that might cause your symptoms, and therefore rule out a pituitary adenoma.
Inferior petrosal sinus sampling may be performed. In this test, small tubes are guided in the veins from your groin to the pituitary gland to collect blood on each side. These samples then are tested to confirm whether the pituitary gland is the source of the hormonal disease.
An MRI or CT scan of your head may be used to look for a tumor in your pituitary gland.

You also may be referred to an endocrinologist, a doctor who specializes in diseases of the endocrine glands and the hormones those glands produce.