Purpose: To determine the characteristics of 50 cases of pituitary tumor.
Methods: The medical records of 50 cases of pituitary tumor found in glaucoma patients treated between June 2013 and June 2014 were reviewed.
Results: There were 37 women and 13 men whose average age was 55.7 years with a range of 24 to 79 years. The glaucoma was unilateral in 19 and bilateral in 31. The pituitary tumors were classified as Rathke's Cleft Cyst (RCC) in 38 cases (76%), RCC with Cushing disease in 5 (10%), adenoma in 4 (8%), adenoma+growth hormone (GH) producing tumors in 2 (4%), and RCC with adenoma in 1 (2%). Of the 50 patients, 23 were treated by surgery (46%), 2 (4%) by hormone supplement therapy, 2 (4%) rejected therapy, and 23 (46%) were followed without treatment. The visual field defects corresponded with typical pituitary visual field defects in 26 (52%) cases, with that typical of unilateral glaucoma in 6 (23%), and with that typical of bilateral glaucoma in 20 (77%) cases. The major symptom was headaches in 24 (48%), headache with dizziness in 10 (20%), dizziness in only 8 (16%), and no complaints in 8 (16%).
Conclusions: Fifty patients diagnosed with glaucoma had concurrent pituitary tumors. Special attention must be paid to glaucoma patients who complain of headaches with and without dizziness.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 120: 101-109, 2016.