PITUITARY-GLAND MR - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF HEALTHY-VOLUNTEERS AND PATIENTS WITH MICROADENOMAS

PURPOSE: To compare the MR appearance of the pituitary glands of healt hy volunteers with that of patients with microadenomas. METHODS: Unenh anced coronal T1-weighted MR of the pituitary gland was performed on 5 2 healthy adult volunteers and 14 consecutive patients with evidence o f pituitary adenomas. The MRs were Interpreted in a randomized, blinde d fashion. Notation was made of pituitary gland size, symmetry, stalk position, and the gland's signal uniformity. RESULTS: Focal pituitary gland hypointensities were seen in 20 of 52 volunteers and in all 14 p atients. In the volunteers, on average the areas of low signal were sm aller and not as dark as in the patient group, but there was some over lap between the two groups. Pituitary gland size, symmetry, and stalk position did not differ between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Focal hyp ointensities are common incidental MR findings in the healthy populati on. On average they appear smaller and not as dark as microadenomas.