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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Endoscopic Endonasal Trans-sphenoidal Approach: Minimally Invasive Surgery for Pituitary Adenomas
Published on: January 17, 2018
Imaging of the pituitary
Tao Ouyang1, William E Rothfus, Jason M Ng
1Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, H066, Hershey, PA 17033, USA. touyang@hmc.psu.edu
Abstract:
In the appropriate clinical setting of pituitary hyperfunction or hypofunction, visual field deficit, or cranial nerve palsy, imaging of the pituitary is necessary. This article reviews the normal appearance of the pituitary and its surroundings, emphasizing magnetic resonance imaging. Typical and variant appearances of pituitary pathology are discussed. Because growth of adenoma into surrounding structures is important to surgical management, cavernous sinus invasion and suprasellar spread as well as adenoma mimics are illustrated. Typical examples of pituitary dysfunction from other entities that secondarily affect the gland, hypophysis, or third ventricle are discussed. Some common errors of interpretation are listed.
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