J Korean Radiol Soc.  1996 Mar;34(3):339-344.

Usefulness of Dynamic Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pituitary Microadenomas

• Rhee CS
• Lee EY
• Joo YG
• Kim H
• Lee HJ
• Suh SJ

Abstract

PURPOSE
To investigate the usefulness of dynamic MR imaging in the diagnosis of pituitary microadenomas.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Dynamic MR imaging was performed in 31 patients with suspicious pituitary microadenoma. The MR examination was performed on a 2.0T or 1.5T superconductive MR unit using spin echo(SE) technique with arepetition time of 200m sec, echo time of 15 m sec, 128 x 256 matrix and one excitation. Actual sampling time perimage was 26 seconds. The field of view was 25cm and a section thickness of 3mm with 2mm gap was chosen. After arapid hand injection(2-3ml/sec) of Gd-DTPA(0.1 mmol/kg of body weight), dynamic coronal plane MR images were obtained every 20-30 seconds for 3-5 minutes. Between never and ten serial images were usually obtained. After dynamic MR imaging, routine SE T1-weighted images(T1WI) were obtained in the same plane as dynamic images, and detection rates of pituitary microadenoma using dynamic MR imaging and using routine enhanced T1WI, were retrospectively compared.
RESULTS
On early dynamic images(30|90 seconds), 23 of 31 adenomas(74.2%) were well visualized, with a clear border ; of particular note is the fact that 11 of the 31 were well visualized at 30-second dynamic image. On late dynamic images(120-180 seconds), six microadeomas(19.4%) were well-visualized and; two(6.5%) were well-visualized throughout on all dynamic images. Meanwhile, 12 of 31 microadenomas(38.7%) were well-visualized on routine Gd-DTPA enhanced T1WI.
CONCLUSION
Dynamic MR imaging with Gd-DTPA bolus injection was the most useful technique for the detection of pituitary microadenomas, especially on early-phase dynamic images.

Keyword

Pituitary, neoplasms; Pituitary, MR

MeSH Terms

Diagnosis
Gadolinium DTPA
Hand
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
Gadolinium DTPA