Discrimination between pituitary adenoma and craniopharyngioma using MRI-based image features and texture features
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Updated: Dec 13, 2025

Endoscopic Endonasal Trans-sphenoidal Approach: Minimally Invasive Surgery for Pituitary Adenomas
Published on: January 17, 2018
Yang Zhang1,2, Chaoyue Chen1,2, Zerong Tian1,2
1Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 GuoXue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, People's Republic of China.
Purpose:
To investigate differences between pituitary adenoma and craniopharyngioma on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with image features and three-dimensional texture features.
Materials And Methods:
A total of 126 patients diagnosed with pituitary adenoma (N = 63) or craniopharyngioma (N = 63) were enrolled. Qualitative magnetic resonance (MR) image features and texture features of tumors were extracted from preoperative MRI and evaluated using chi-square test or Mann-Whitney U test. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to assess their abilities as independent diagnostic predictors, and ROC analyses were conducted to evaluate the diagnostic value of significant features. Mann-Whitney U test and ROC analyses were performed to explore the relationship between MR image features and texture features.
Results:
Five MR image features were suggested to be significantly different between pituitary adenoma and craniopharyngioma. Three texture features from contrast-enhanced T1WI (HISTO-Skewness, GLCM-Contrast and GLCM-Energy), two texture features from T2WI (HISTO-Skewness and GLCM-Contrast) showed significant differences between two types of tumors. Logistic regression analyses suggested GLCM-Energy from contrast-enhanced T1WI, HISTO-Skewness and GLCM-Contrast from T2WI could be taken as independent predictors. Moreover, HISTO-Skewness and GLCM-Contrast from T2WI were found to be significantly related to cystic change.
Conclusion:
MR image features and texture features were associated with each other, and both types of features represented feasible diagnostic value in discrimination between pituitary adenoma and craniopharyngioma.

