关键词: 垂体腺瘤, 磁共振成像, 蝶鞍, 蝶窦, 测量, 经蝶窦入路

Abstract:

 Objective    To analyze the relevant factors and their clinical significance by measuring the sella turcica on MRI in pituitary adenoma patients.   Methods   40 cases of pituitary adenoma (the diameter > 10 mm) with complete contour of sellar floor were selected. The midline saggital MRI scan and coronal MRI scan were used for study. The main indicators include sellar length, sellar face, sellar prominence, sellar angle, sellar window, tumor height, suprasellar and infrasellar tumor height, suprasellar and infrasellar tumor area. The comparison among these indicators was performed. They were also compared with different sphenoid pneumatization types and tumor resection extent.   Results   The patients were found to have the following sellar floor types: 29 prominent sella(sellar angle<90°), 10 curved sella (sellar angle 90°~150°) , 1 flat sella（sellar angle>150°）. Tumor size had significant positive correlation（P<0.01）with sellar length, sellar face and sellar window. The correlation between tumor size and sellar length was most significant. Infrasellar tumor height had significant positive correlation (P<0.05) with sellar prominence, both of which did not possess significant correlation with the sphenoid types. Sellar prominence and sellar angle are relatively independent indicators; both have little relationship with sellar length, sellar face and sellar window. Conclusions With the growth of pituitary adenomas, sella size also tends to increase, making the sellar floor more prominent. Despite of the flat sellar floor in patients with hemisellar type of sphenoid sinus, the surgical procedure to open the sellar floor should be quite easy because of its larger sellar length and sellar window.

Key words: Pituitary adenoma, Magnetic resonance, Sella turcica, Sphenoid sinus, Measurement, Transsphenoidal approach