This is an automatically translated article.
The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
The pituitary gland is an important endocrine gland, responsible for many functions affecting other organs or endocrine glands of the body. Pituitary adenoma is not a life-threatening disease, but it affects health and can cause infertility.
1. What is a pituitary tumor?
The pituitary gland is an important endocrine gland, about the size of a pea, located right at the base of the brain. The pituitary gland has the function of regulating the secretion of hormones such as thyroid gland, adrenal gland,...
Pituitary tumor is an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells, then gradually forms cells. tumor. Tumors are the main cause of stimulating the overproduction of hormones. If the tumor size is too large, it will compress and destroy neighboring cells, leading to impaired hormone-producing cells, changing the function of this endocrine gland.
What symptoms appear usually depends on the size of the tumor. Common symptoms include:
Hormonal disorders: women often have menstrual irregularities, delayed menstruation, nipples produce milk even though they are not pregnant, ... Men reduce erection, decline desire, premature ejaculation and difficulty in sexual intercourse,... Visual disturbances: when the tumor size grows too large, it will cause them to invade and press on the nerve cells of the patient. brain. Leads to visual disturbances and loss of vision. Patients will have symptoms of seeing only one side, unable to see objects that are too far away, open images, eyestrain and pain if they try to observe,...
2. Pituitary tumors cause infertility or not?
Pituitary tumors have a significant impact on health, if not diagnosed and intervened in time, can lead to infertility.
Prolactin-secreting pituitary tumors lead to decreased sex hormone levels. At this time, the amount of prolactin in the blood increases, testosterone in men and estrogen in women will decrease. The effects of pituitary tumors also differ in the sexes.
Females: Tumors can disrupt the balance of hormones in the body, inhibiting ovulation. At this time, the menstrual cycle will be interrupted, reducing the ability to have a natural child. People with milder levels can still have normal periods and ovulation. However, the hormone progesterone is not produced enough, making it impossible for a fertilized egg to implant. Therefore, it can lead to the risk of infertility in women.
Men: pituitary gland tumors increase prolactin, making men lose sex drive, erectile dysfunction and poor quality and quantity of sperm. As a result, the chances of sperm and egg fusion are reduced, and successful conception will be more difficult. A pituitary tumor reduces a person's ability to have children, due to erratic increases and decreases in hormone production in both men and women. Therefore, when the symptoms of pituitary tumor appear, it is necessary to immediately seek medical attention for timely examination and treatment.
Customers can directly go to Vinmec International General Hospital nationwide for examination or contact the hotline HERE for support.
In April & May 2021, when there is a need for examination and treatment of pituitary tumor at Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital, customers will enjoy double incentives:
- Free specialist examination
- 50% discount for customers with post-examination treatment indications. The program is limited to the corresponding technique of each hospital and to customers who perform this treatment technique for the first time at Vinmec.
Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.
