Tara Palmer-Tomkinson’s family have confirmed that her death was not the result of a brain tumour and was not caused by a pituitary condition.

The much-loved celebrity’s death had been widely linked to a “brain tumour” after her recent revelation that she had a pituitary tumour.

But a statement from her family has said that the 45-year-old had died peacefully in her sleep after suffering a perforated ulcer.

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson said in 2016 that she had a prolactinoma, which is the most common form of pituitary tumour.

A clarifying statement from her sister, Santa Montefiore, denied that Palmer-Tomkinson had a brain tumour but confirmed that she did in fact have a prolactinoma, according to The Mirror newspaper.

Most pituitary conditions are manageable and non-threatening after the correct treatment.

Professor John Wass of The Pituitary Foundation Medical Committee commented: “Prolactinoma are the most commonly occurring pituitary tumour and are not life-threatening.

“They are almost invariably benign and 80-90% of these are easily treated,” he added.

Around 70,000 people in the UK are affected by pituitary conditions and are given invaluable support and information by The Pituitary Foundation.

We provide information, specialist Helplines and expert support, to reassure and help thousands of new and existing patients every year.

Patients often wait years to be diagnosed because their symptoms are often mistaken for other more common ailments, and in that time the impact can be serious.

Our recent survey of over 1000 patients and families suggests pituitary patients can face a host of serious challenges including depression, fatigue, weight gain, headaches and mood swings.

These results give a clear indication of the impact of pituitary conditions on health, employment, personal relationships, wellbeing and day to day life.

Notably, a clear link to depression and anxiety is evident with 94% of patients calling for more mental health support and information.

Many patients also said their lives are affected by severe fatigue, with three out every four pituitary sufferers struggling to lead their normal lives as their concentration and energy levels hit rock bottom. 

Despite this range of symptoms the average time taken to diagnose a condition is 4.5 years.

The Pituitary Foundation exists to provide a support network for patients, shortening diagnosis times, helping to secure the correct diagnosis and treatment and raising general awareness. 

People with tell-tale indicators of pituitary conditions like persistent headaches, loss of libido, weight gain or vision problems should ask their GP to investigate potential pituitary conditions.

With the right support and treatment the majority of pituitary patients enjoy high quality of life.

More information and support: visit www.pituitary.org.uk | Endocrine nurse helpline 0117 370 1317 | Patient support Helpline 0117 370 1320.