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Ophthalmological Evaluation of Pituitary Adenomas

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The Pituitary Adenoma

Abstract

When pituitary adenomas present as mass lesions, visual involvement is the rule. Decreased acuity and field loss occur less regularly when the tumor presents with endocrinological manifestations such as acromegaly, galactorrhea, amenorrhea, and Cushing’s syndrome. Because of their secretory activity, these tumors become manifest while they are still small. A tumor arising in the sella must be quite large and have significant extrasellar extension before impinging on the visual pathways; consequently, visual-field testing is not a sensitive screening method for small pituitary tumors. When adenomas causing field defects are approached intracranially, the usual finding is a grossly distorted chiasm stretched over a large tumor (see Chapter 16, Fig. 2).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, 02111, USA

    John W. Gittinger Jr.

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Division of Neuro-ophthalmology, Tufts-New England Medical Center Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, 02111, USA

    John W. Gittinger Jr.

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  1. John W. Gittinger Jr.
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. New England Medical Center Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Kalmon D. Post M. D. , Ivor M. D. Jackson M. D.  & Seymour Reichlin M. D., Ph. D. ,  & 

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Gittinger, J.W. (1980). Ophthalmological Evaluation of Pituitary Adenomas. In: Post, K.D., Jackson, I.M.D., Reichlin, S. (eds) The Pituitary Adenoma. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3668-6_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3668-6_13

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