Failure to Diagnose Pituitary Tumors

Some people with pituitary tumors are asymptomatic, while others suffer from devastating health issues. Many of the conditions caused by pituitary tumors can be remedied with appropriate care, but the proper treatment cannot be offered if the tumor is not diagnosed. Generally, the failure to diagnose pituitary tumors arises out of negligence, and doctors that neglect to provide their patients with accurate diagnoses may be held liable for medical malpractice. If you were hurt by a doctor’s carelessness, it is prudent to confer with a lawyer regarding your rights. The seasoned Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys of Arfaa Law Group have ample experience representing people injured by medical negligence, and if you hire us, we can assess the circumstances surrounding your harm and advise you of your potential claims.

The pituitary gland is located in the center of the brain and secretes hormones that regulate many bodily functions. As such, pituitary tumors can cause a wide range of symptoms that vary depending on the size and type of the tumor and the area of the pituitary gland it affects. For example, pituitary tumors can cause the body to produce too much prolactin, which can cause sexual dysfunction, vision problems, headaches, and fertility issues. They can also cause the production of excessive amounts of growth hormones, which can cause joint pain and lead to diabetes, or adrenocorticotropic hormones, which can weaken bones and cause obesity and high blood pressure. Pituitary tumors can also be cancerous.

Generally, if a patient presents to a doctor with symptoms of a pituitary tumor, the doctor will take the patient’s medical history and may conduct blood and urine tests. They may also employ CT scans and MRIs to determine if a tumor is present. If a tumor is identified, it may be biopsied to assess whether it is cancerous.

The failure to diagnose pituitary tumors often negatively impacts patient health and quality of life. As such, people harmed by a missed or delayed pituitary tumor diagnosis will often wish to seek compensation for their losses via medical malpractice lawsuits.

Usually, a plaintiff seeking damages for medical malpractice will argue that the defendant committed medical negligence. Under Maryland law, to establish negligence, a plaintiff must first show that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty. The duty owed in medical malpractice cases is to provide care that meets the applicable standard, which is the treatment a reasonable doctor working in the same practice area would provide when presented with a similar scenario.

Next, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant breached the standard of care. For example, if a competent physician would have ordered an MRI and the defendant failed to do so, it may constitute a violation of the standard of care. Finally, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant’s breach proximately caused the plaintiff to sustain identifiable harm. In other words, the plaintiff’s injuries would not have occurred but for the defendant’s behavior.

In most medical malpractice cases, the plaintiff will have to hire one or more medical experts to explain to the judge or jury what the applicable standard of care requires, the ways in which the defendant failed to abide by the standard, and to demonstrate causation.

Pituitary tumors can cause a variety of symptoms, many of which are debilitating, and the failure to diagnose pituitary tumors can negatively impact a person’s health. If you were injured by your doctor’s failure to provide you with a correct diagnosis, you have the right to seek compensation, and you should speak to an attorney. The trusted Baltimore lawyers of Arfaa Law Group are adept at proving negligent care providers should be held responsible for the damages they cause, and if you engage our services, we will set forth compelling arguments in favor of your recovery of damages. We have an office in Baltimore, where we regularly represent people harmed by medical malpractice. You can contact us via our online form or by calling us at 410-889-1850 to set up a meeting.