垂体腺瘤在最常见颅内肿瘤中排名第三(位于脑膜瘤和星形细胞瘤之后),大约占成人颅内肿瘤的10%。[1]Surawicz TS, McCarthy BJ, Kupelian V, et al. Descriptive epidemiology of primary brain and CNS tumors: results from the Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States, 1990-1994. Neuro Oncol. 1999;1:14-25.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1919458/pdf/11554386.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11554386?tool=bestpractice.com流行病学中没有性别和种族的差异。垂体肿瘤在英国每100 000人有19到28例,比利时每100 000人中有94例,并以每年每100 000人0.4到8.2的发生率发生。[14]Davis JR, Farrell WE, Clayton RN. Pituitary tumours. Reproduction. 2001;121:363-371.http://www.reproduction-online.org/cgi/reprint/121/3/363http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11226062?tool=bestpractice.com[15]Daly AF, Rixhon M, Adam C, et al. High prevalence of pituitary adenomas: a cross-sectional study in the province of Liege, Belgium. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91:4769-4775.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16968795?tool=bestpractice.com[16]Monson JP. The epidemiology of endocrine tumours. Endocr Relat Cancer. 2000;7:29-36.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10808194?tool=bestpractice.com发生率峰值在30到60岁,由于年轻女性催乳素瘤的频率更高,女性(通常在20到45岁)比男性(35到60岁)发生更早。[14]Davis JR, Farrell WE, Clayton RN. Pituitary tumours. Reproduction. 2001;121:363-371.http://www.reproduction-online.org/cgi/reprint/121/3/363http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11226062?tool=bestpractice.com[17]Faglia G. Epidemiology and pathogenesis of pituitary adenomas. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh). 1993;129(suppl 1):1-5.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8396832?tool=bestpractice.com垂体腺瘤的患病率随年龄增长而升高。[16]Monson JP. The epidemiology of endocrine tumours. Endocr Relat Cancer. 2000;7:29-36.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10808194?tool=bestpractice.com尤其临床无功能垂体腺瘤(CNFPAs)估计以每年每百万人5.6例的发生率发生。[18]Nielsen EH, Lindholm J, Laurberg P, et al. Nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma: incidence, causes of death and quality of life in relation to pituitary function. Pituitary. 2007;10:67-73.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17356906?tool=bestpractice.com尸检研究证实偶发垂体肿块发生率达27%,头颅MRI成像表明大约10%的发生率。这些垂体肿瘤的大部分(99%)是微小腺瘤和临床无功能腺瘤,只有0.4%是巨大腺瘤。[19]Dekkers OM, Pereira AM, Romijn JA, et al. Treatment and follow-up of clinically nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008;93:3717-3726.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18682516?tool=bestpractice.com