MR Diagnosis of Intrasellar Diseases

Objective To investigate MR diagnosis and differential diagnosis of intrasellar diseases by studying MR manifestations of intrasellar diseases in 124 cases.Methods 124 cases of intrasellar diseases were underwent by MR plan scan, among which 84 cases were examined by MR contrastenhanced scan. 93 cases were proved by operation and pathology, 31 cases were proved by clinical data.Results There were 46 cases of pituitary microadenoma, 32 cases of pituitary macroadenoma, 10 cases of Rathke’ cleft cyst, 4 cases of metastasis, 3 cases of pituitary abscess, 21 cases of empty sella, 2 cases of lympha hypophysitis, 2 cases of pituitary hyperplasia, 2 cases of arachnoid cyst, 2 cases of idiopathic pituitary hypofunction. Pituitary adenoma,metastasis,lympha hypophysitis,pituitary hyperplasia and pituitary abscess show pituitary enlargement, contrastenhanced scan and clinical material were very important in differential diagnosis. Rathke’ cleft cyst and arachnoid cyst could be distinguished according to the change of signal. The diagnostic essential of empty sella was that the infundibulum remained immovable. Idiopathic pituitary hypofunction manifested pituitary shrinking in size and disappearing of infundibulum.Conclusion The main MR manifestations of intrasellar diseases were pituitary enlargement,intrasellar cystic diseases and pituitary dysplasia. We should analyze synthetically in combination with signal change,enhanced manifestations and clinical data in differential diagnosis.