pituitary gland

PITUITARY GLAND
-Imaging indications:
-endocrine disturbances
-visual failure
-pituitary fossa:
-above sphenoid
-cavernous sinuses on each side
-superiorly -suprasellar cistern (optic pathways and circle of Willis)
-varies in size
-normally ( thin rim of soft tissue at base of sella
(partially empty sella)
-in females of child bearing age(will fill sella with
with superior convex margin
-infundibulum:
-larger in females than in males but should not exceed diameter of the basilar artery
-pituitary (no more than 9mm in height
(should enhance both on CECT & CEMR
-anterior and posterior lobes can be identified on MRI
-sometimes posterior pituitary returns high signal on T1WI due to neurosecretory granules so this high signal can vary on sequential scans of same patient
-uniformly bright in neonates
Ectopic pituitary : may originate from -- posterior lobe of pituitary—rounded high signal soft tissue mass