Eye Health More Eye Issues & Safety Pituitary Adenomas and Your Vision By Troy Bedinghaus, OD Troy Bedinghaus, OD LinkedIn Troy L. Bedinghaus, OD, board-certified optometric physician, owns Lakewood Family Eye Care in Florida. He is an active member of the American Optometric Association. Learn about our editorial process Medically reviewed by Johnstone M. Kim, MD Medically reviewed by Johnstone M. Kim, MD on March 28, 2020 Johnstone M. Kim, MD, is board-certified in ophthalmology. He's a practicing physician at Midwest Retina in Dublin, Ohio and previously served as a full-time faculty member at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and the Kresge Eye Institute in Detroit, Michigan. Learn about our Medical Review Board on March 28, 2020 Print Pituitary adenomas are tumors that can affect vision, sometimes causing vision loss. As they grow in size, pituitary adenomas can put pressure on important structures in the body, such as the optic nerve. Putting pressure on the optic nerve may cause blindness, so it is crucial for eye doctors to detect pituitary tumors before they cause damage to vision. ALFRED PASIEKA / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty Images Pituitary Gland The pituitary gland is about the size of a bean and is attached to the base of the brain behind the nasal area. Although small, the pituitary controls the secretion of many different types of hormones. It helps maintain growth and development and regulates many different glands, organs, and hormones. Changes in hormones can cause significant changes in our bodies. Pituitary Tumors and Vision The most common structures that a pituitary tumor compresses are the optic nerve and optic chiasm. The optic nerve is the nerve cable that connects the eye to the brain. The optic chiasm is the point at which the two optic nerves cross. Optic nerve compression causes a gradual loss of vision or a loss of peripheral vision. Loss of peripheral vision in the temporal or side area of our visual field is called a bitemporal hemianopsia. Symptoms Besides vision changes such as double vision, drooping eyelids, and visual field loss, pituitary adenomas also may cause the following symptoms: Forehead headaches Nausea or vomiting Change in sense of smell Sexual dysfunction Depression Unexplained weight changes Change in menses or early menopause Diagnosis Because of their effects on vision, eye doctors may be the first to diagnose a pituitary adenoma. To measure the extent of vision loss, eye doctors usually order a computerized visual field test. Because some pituitary tumors can cause hormonal changes, a complete medical history is also taken. The doctor may then order blood and urine testing, as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Treatment Pituitary adenomas are often treated with neurosurgery to remove the tumor. Radiation therapy using x-rays and proton beams are also used to kill tumors. Medications may first be prescribed to help shrink the tumor. What You Should Know Early detection of pituitary adenoma is extremely important because of the risk of blindness associated with these tumors. Since your eye doctor is capable of diagnosing pituitary adenoma, see your eye doctor annually. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Slamovits, Thomas L and Ronald Burde. Neuro-ophthalmology. Copyright 1994, Mosby-Year Book Europe Ltd.