Surgical and non-surgical treatment of pituitary adenomas.

Pituitary adenomas are slow growing, benign lesions originating from various hormone producing cells of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. The currently used morphofunctional classification is based on histology, immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy. Pituitary adenomas may present clinically with certain endocrinopathies attributable to pituitary hypersecretion of pituitary hormones, or with neurologic symptoms of tumor mass effect due to compression of the adjacent brain structures, such as optic or other cranial nerves, and may induce increased intracranial pressure.