what causes a pituitary tumor to develop is unknown.
Having one pituitary tumor usually doesn’t mean a person will develop more. In fact, once a tumor is removed completely, others rarely follow. But removing a pituitary tumor can be challenging. Acromegaly progresses very gradually, and it’s easy to miss subtle symptoms. Most individuals diagnosed with the disease have had it for about 10 years before it’s identified. When the disease finally is diagnosed, the pituitary tumor often has spread into areas of the brain where it is difficult to remove completely. Treatment becomes more complicated because a single surgery can cure acromegaly only if the entire tumor is removed. If that doesn’t happen, additional surgery may be necessary. This could have been the case for your son. If his tumors were detected and removed one after the other, it’s possible the second tumor actually was part of the original tumor that was left behind after the first procedure.
Having one pituitary tumor usually doesn’t mean a person will develop more. In fact, once a tumor is removed completely, others rarely follow. But removing a pituitary tumor can be challenging. Acromegaly progresses very gradually, and it’s easy to miss subtle symptoms. Most individuals diagnosed with the disease have had it for about 10 years before it’s identified. When the disease finally is diagnosed, the pituitary tumor often has spread into areas of the brain where it is difficult to remove completely. Treatment becomes more complicated because a single surgery can cure acromegaly only if the entire tumor is removed. If that doesn’t happen, additional surgery may be necessary. This could have been the case for your son. If his tumors were detected and removed one after the other, it’s possible the second tumor actually was part of the original tumor that was left behind after the first procedure.
