Study of Pituitary Gland for Patients with Visual Disturbance using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Abstract

This study is an attempt to evaluate the pituitary gland for patients with visual disturbance using MRI by measuring size of pituitary gland and signal intensity in T1Weighted image, with and without contrast and T2Weighted image. The study was conducted at Alzaytouna Specialist Hospital (Khartoum-Sudan) during the period from September 2016 up to February 2017 fifty subjects were selected in both gender and with different ages. All subjects were scanned for brain using MRI Machine 1.5Tesla (Toshiba vantage), T1 and T2 weighted images were obtained in sagital, axial and coronal views The results showed that, 20 patients (40%) present with macroadenoma, 10 Patients (20%) present with microadenoma. 4 patients (8%) present with craniopharyngioma and one patient (2%) present with epidermoid cyst, and showed that the most common cause of visual disturbance is macroadenoma and the most common affected age is 41-50 years, microadenoma, craniopharyngioma and epidermoid cyst also cause visual disturbance. The results showed that the signal intensity in T1Weighted image, isointense to normal pituitary gland in macroadenoma and microadenoma and hypointense in craniopharyngioma and epidermoid cyst. The signal intensity in T1Weighted image with contrast, in macroadenoma homogenous in 15 patients and heterogeneous in 5patients and in craniopharyngioma, and showed hypointense in microadenoma. The signal intensity in T2Weighted image hyper intense in macroadenoma, microadenoma, craniopharyngioma and epidermoid cyst. MRI is suitable and recommended method for evaluation and demonstrating the pituitary gland anatomy and pathology.