Pituitary tumours and thyrotropinoma
The three questions for any pituitary mass (what is it secreting, is anything deficient, is it pressing on the chiasm), managing incidentalomas and non-functioning adenomas under the 2025 Pituitary Society guideline, and telling a TSH-secreting adenoma from thyroid hormone resistance and assay interference.
Tier 2Condition
Written with AI assistance and fact-checked against the sources below. For exam study, not clinical decisions. How notes are made
At a glance
- Pituitary adenomas (now often called pituitary neuroendocrine tumours, PitNETs, in the WHO 2022 classification) are common. MRI finds them incidentally in about 10% of adults.
- For any sellar mass, answer three questions: hypersecretion, hypopituitarism, mass effect.
- Commonest types: prolactinoma and non-functioning adenoma, then somatotroph (acromegaly) and corticotroph (Cushing disease). TSH-omas are under 1 to 2%.
Loading the rest of the note…
Finished reading?
Sources
- Pituitary incidentaloma: a Pituitary Society international consensus guideline statementNature Reviews Endocrinology (Fleseriu M, Gurnell M, McCormack A, et al.; 21:638-55), 2025
- 2013 European Thyroid Association guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of thyrotropin-secreting pituitary tumorsEuropean Thyroid Journal (Beck-Peccoz P, et al.; 2:76-82), 2013
- Hormonal replacement in hypopituitarism in adults: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guidelineEndocrine Society (Fleseriu M, et al.; J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2016;101:3888-921), 2016
- Endocrinology (Therapeutic Guidelines)AU/NZTherapeutic Guidelines Ltd
- Assessing fitness to drive for commercial and private vehicle drivers (vision and eye disorders chapter)AU/NZAustroads and National Transport Commission
- Last updated
- 14 November 2026
What changed
- 14 November 2026 Turnstile bot check on sign-in and signed-out feedback