Pituitary Tumors in Children and Adolescents

T occupying the pituitary fossa are of two main types: craniopharyngiomas, the most common tumor causing hypopituitarism in childhood, and pituitary adenomas. Virtually all tumors of this region are benign. Tumors that metastasize to the pituitary during childhood are exceedingly rare. Neoplastic or infiltrative processes of the pituitary area, including gliomas arising from the optic chiasm and surrounding region, meningiomas, germ cell tumors arising from the pituitary stalk, and granulomatous diseases that include histiocytosis X, tuberculosis, and sarcoidosis, may interfere with pituitary function. This review will focus on neoplastic diseases that arise from the pituitary gland or its anlagen.