After fasting overnight, the patient drinks a sugar solution, then has blood samples taken in which sugar or growth hormone levels are measured. Sometimes, in order to locate a very small tumor in the pituitary gland, an invasive procedure is required. This procedure is called inferior petrosal sinus sampling. A radiologist inserts special catheters from the groin veins into the vessels that drain the pituitary gland at the top of the neck and draws blood for measurement of the hormone that the tumor secretes. Treatment Doctors can successfully treat most pituitary tumors with microsurgery performed under the magnification of a surgical microscope, radiation therapy, surgery, drugs, or a combination of these treatments.
Surgery is the treatment of choice for tumors that enlarge rapidly and threaten vision.
The treatment plan for other pituitary tumors varies according to the type and size of the tumor. Depending on each individual diagnosis, a physician can prescribe a wide variety of treatments. Sometimes treatments stimulate or compensate for missing hormones, others reduce the production of hormones. In some cases, drugs must be taken on a daily basis. The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development supports an abundance of research aimed at developing better ways to diagnose and treat children with pituitary tumors.