Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Pituitary Adenomas

Abstract

Seven pituitary adenomas with suprasellar extensions were examined with a 0.5 tesla superconductive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system. MRI clearly displayed the anatomical structures, such as an optic pathway and internal carotid arteries in the cavernous sinus, but it could not show the cavernous sinus itself or the nerves in it. Sagittal and coronal inversion recovery images were very useful for visualization of the optic pathway and short spin echo images of the parasellar anatomy. To delineate tumors, coronal and sagittal images were superior to axial images in all pulse sequences. Prolongation of the spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) and spin-spin relaxation time (T2) was observed in every case with no relation to tissue type of the tumors. © 1987, The Japan Neurosurgical Society. All rights reserved.