الفهرس 
BASIC SCIENCEOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Pituitary adenomas are common benign monoclonal neoplasms accounting for approximately 15 to 20% of primary intracranial tumors (the third most common type of intracranial tumors). Although histologically benign, pituitary tumors cause significant morbidity due to their critical location, expanding size, and/or inappropriate pituitary hormone expression (Sanno et al., 2003).
For the average general practitioner, pituitary disorders are relatively uncommon. However, post-mortem and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies show that about 10% of the population may harbor a pituitary mass, although most are small and non-functioning pituitary adenomas (Hall et al., 1994).
Pituitary adenomas can occur in a familial setting in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1, Carney complex, and in the context of isolated familial acromegaly or gigantism, and, less frequently, the context of a familial predisposition to the development of other pituitary tumors. Another genetic, but not inherited, disorder associated with growth hormone and prolactin producing pituitary tumors is McCune-Albright syndrome (Boikos and Stratakis, 2007).
Although most pituitary tumors are well-differentiated and histologically benign neoplasms, their clinical behaviors are varied. Invasive pituitary adenomas have a poorer prognosis than noninvasive tumors because they are difficult to remove completely. However, these differences in clinical behavior cannot be discerned from their histopathological appearance (Nam et al., 2001).