The short answer
A pituitary tumors evaluation may include hormone testing, eye testing when needed, MRI, and specialist assessment. The goal is to confirm the exact diagnosis and gather information that changes care.
Evaluation may include hormone testing, eye testing when needed, MRI, and specialist assessment.
Not every person needs every possible test.
Planning may depend on hormone activity, size, symptoms, growth, vision, and pituitary function.
A specialist review can clarify an uncommon or unexpected diagnosis.
On this page
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This page is for people being checked for a pituitary tumor. The pituitary is a small gland at the base of the brain that makes hormones. The page covers common signs, the tests used, and questions to ask.
What brings pituitary tumors to light
Symptoms depend on whether the tumor makes extra hormones. Larger tumors can press on nearby structures. MedlinePlus lists vision changes such as double vision and loss of side vision, headache, lack of energy, and clear, salty fluid draining from the nose. Too much prolactin can cause nipple discharge and irregular or absent periods in women. In men, it can decrease sexual function. A growth-hormone tumor can cause enlarged hands, feet, and facial features over time, a condition called acromegaly. An ACTH-making tumor (ACTH is a hormone that tells the body to make cortisol) can cause weight gain, easy bruising, and other signs of a condition called Cushing syndrome.
The tests used
Blood tests check hormone levels. MedlinePlus lists cortisol, prolactin, IGF-1, LH, FSH and thyroid hormone tests. An MRI of the head shows the tumor. NCI describes MRI with gadolinium. An eye exam checks vision and visual fields. If tissue is taken, it is examined under a microscope.
Why "functioning" versus "nonfunctioning" matters
Some pituitary tumors make no extra hormones at all. Doctors call these nonfunctioning. Tumors that do make hormones are called functioning. NCI says most pituitary tumors are functioning ones, so nonfunctioning tumors are the smaller group.
What blood hormone levels do and don't tell you
Blood tests measure hormone levels. An MRI is the test that shows the tumor. Ask your team how each result will be used.
How long the wait usually takes
Turnaround is set by your center, not by a national rule. Vision testing is often discussed during the visit itself. Hormone blood tests and the MRI report usually follow later, and some centers can go over the scan at the same appointment. For tissue taken at surgery, NCI says the pathologist typically sends the report to the doctor within 10 days of the biopsy or surgery. Ask who will call you, and when.
What to ask your team
- Is my tumor functioning or nonfunctioning, based on my hormone levels?
- What does the MRI show about size and closeness to my vision nerves?
- Does my vision test show any early changes?
- Would medicine alone treat this, or is surgery being considered?
- How urgent is treatment, given what my scans show?
When to get help sooner
- Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department if a severe headache comes on suddenly, or your vision suddenly changes. Pituitary apoplexy is a rare emergency with sudden, severe symptoms. Do not drive yourself.
- Call your care team right away if you notice double vision or your side vision starts closing in. For emergencies call 911 or go to the ER.
- Call your care team the same day if clear, salty-tasting fluid drains from your nose, or you have a new lack of energy.
Sources
Common questions
What symptoms bring pituitary tumors to light?
Larger tumors can press on nearby structures and cause vision changes and headache. Symptoms also depend on which hormone is being made. Too much prolactin can cause nipple discharge and irregular or absent periods in women, and decreased sexual function in men. A growth-hormone tumor can cause acromegaly, and an ACTH-making tumor can cause Cushing syndrome.
Which tests are used?
Tests include blood tests for hormone levels, an MRI of the head, and an eye exam that checks vision and visual fields. NCI describes MRI with gadolinium. Tissue taken at surgery is examined under a microscope.
What is the difference between a functioning and a nonfunctioning tumor?
Functioning tumors make more than the normal amount of one or more hormones. NCI says most pituitary tumors are functioning tumors. Tumors that do not make extra hormones are called nonfunctioning.
Can a blood test tell me how big the tumor is?
No. Blood tests measure hormone levels. An MRI is the test that shows the tumor. Ask your team how each result will be used.
How long do the results take?
Turnaround is set by your center, not by a national rule, so ask when each result is expected. Vision testing is often discussed during the visit itself. Hormone blood tests and the MRI report usually follow later, and some centers can go over the scan at the same appointment. If tissue is taken at surgery, NCI says the pathologist typically sends the report to the doctor within 10 days of the biopsy or surgery.
Questions to ask your doctor
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Sources last checked: 2026-08-13 what this meansLast updated: 2026-09-29Next planned review: 2027-07-22
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Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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