Pituicytoma is a rare brain tumor

Brain tumor

A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal...

. It grows at the base of the brain from the pituitary gland

Pituitary gland

In vertebrate anatomy the pituitary gland, or hypophysis, is an endocrine gland about the size of a pea and weighing 0.5 g , in humans. It is a protrusion off the bottom of the hypothalamus at the base of the brain, and rests in a small, bony cavity covered by a dural fold...

. This tumor is thought to be derived from the parenchymal cells of the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, the so-called pituicytes. Some researchers believe that they arise from the folliculostellate cells in the anterior lobe of the pituitary. As such, it is a low-grade glioma

Glioma

A glioma is a type of tumor that starts in the brain or spine. It is called a glioma because it arises from glial cells. The most common site of gliomas is the brain.-By type of cell:...

. It occurs in adults and symptoms include visual disturbance and endocrinological dysfunction. They are often mistaken for pituitary adenoma

Pituitary adenoma

Pituitary adenomas are tumors that occur in the pituitary gland, and account for about 15% of intracranial neoplasms. Tumors which exceed 10 mm in size are defined as macroadenomas, and those smaller than 10 mm are referred to as microadenomas...

s which have a similar presentation and occur in the same location. The treatment consists of surgical resection, which is curative in most cases.