Guide To Understanding The Pituitary Gland

Brain Tumors Vs Pituitary Tumors

The pituitary gland is physically located in what many would consider the brain, but it is not medically considered to be part of the central nervous system. Once again, the pituitary gland is a small mass of glandular tissue attached to the brain tissues by a thin stalk that sits just behind the bridge of the nose. Because the pituitary gland is not made up of nervous tissue, a tumor that develops in it is not medically considered a brain tumor. The majority of diagnosed brain tumors are malignant and have formed from nervous tissue in the brain. The majority of pituitary gland tumors are benign and have formed out of glandular tissue. Brain tumors usually do not interfere with any hormones, where most pituitary tumors produce an excessive amount of one or more of the hormones the pituitary gland would normally produce. A pituitary gland tumor is more likely to cause symptoms related to hormone imbalances, and a brain tumor is more likely to cause symptoms associated with the compression of other brain structures and tissues.

Learn about the symptoms linked to pituitary gland problems next.