Pituitary Tumours

Question 1

Tumour of somatotropin causes

Answer 1

Acromegaly

Question 2

Tumour of lactotrophs

Answer 2

Prolactinoma

Question 3

Tumour of thyrotroph

Answer 3

TSHoma

Question 4

Tumour of gonadotrophs

Answer 4

Gonadotrophinoma

Question 5

Tumour of corticotrophs

Answer 5

Corticotroph adenoma

Question 6

Corticotroph adenoma causes what disease?

Answer 6

Cushing’s disease

Question 7

How to classify pituitary tumour radiologically?

Answer 7

Size
Stellar or supracellar
Does it compress optic chiasm?
Does it invade the cavernous sinus?

Question 8

Micro adenoma vs macro adenoma

Answer 8

Micro <1cm

Macro >1cm

Question 9

Why is it important surgically to know if the pituitary tumour invades the cavernous sinus?

Answer 9

Important structures like internal carotid and cranial nerves run through there

Question 10

How to classify pituitary tumour via function?

Answer 10

Excess secretion of hormone or not

Question 11

How to classify pituitary tumours on benign vs malignant?

Answer 11

Mitotic index

Benign histology may have malignant behaviour

Question 12

What is the commonest functioning pituitary adenoma?

Answer 12

Prolactinoma

Question 13

Prolactinoma presentation

Answer 13

Menstrual disturbance
Erectile dysfunction
Galactorrhea
Low libido
Subfertility

Question 14

What are other causes for elevated prolactin other than prolactinoma?

Answer 14

Pregnancy, Stress: exercise seizure , primary hypothyroidism, PCOS, chronic renal failure, antipsychotics, SSRIs, opiates, anti emetics, high oestrogen

Question 15

What is macroprolactin?

Answer 15

physiologically inactive form of prolactin

some laboratory assays will detect it as prolactin, leading to a falsely elevated prolactin result