Postoperative imaging of the pituitary gland

Imaging often plays an important role in the management of patients who have been surgically treated for pituitary disease. The primary goals of the radiologist are to recognize normal postoperative findings, to distinguish iatrogenic changes in the sella and surrounding regions from residual tumor, and to detect surgical or therapy-related complications when apparent on imaging. Accurate assessment of the postoperative pituitary region requires an understanding of the normal sellar anatomy and of the common neurosurgical techniques applied to this region and familiarity with the appearance of this region in both the acute postoperative setting and also upon subsequent subacute and later examinations.