DOI: 10.1097/01.CNE.0000407662.23219.d0
,
Issn Print: 0163-2108
Publication Date: 2011/08/15
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Excerpt
This article is the first of 4 parts.
Pituitary adenomas (PAs) are intracranial neoplasms arising from the anterior pituitary gland (adenohypophysis) that can present with a number of endocrine or visual disturbances. They are relatively common, accounting for 15% of primary intracranial tumors and with a reported incidence as high as 74 to 94 per 100,000. A recent meta-analysis showed that clinically silent cases found on autopsy or incidentally on radiography are even more common with an estimated 17% of the population affected. Notably, pituitary carcinomas and tumors of the posterior pituitary gland (neurohypophysis) are rare (there are fewer than 140 reported cases of pituitary carcinomas). This article focuses only on PAs and attempts to review the classification, epidemiology, and diagnosis of these tumors. It is the first of a 4-part series and will follow with a discussion of the current state of genetics, molecular biology, and treatment.
