| Popis: |
Lesions located within the sella and parasellar region of the brain may present with similar clinical symptoms and imaging findings. Anatomic location and key imaging characteristics can aid in the differentiation of these tumors. Major anatomic references within the sella and parasellar region include the pituitary gland, pituitary stalk, optic chiasm, hypothalamus, cavernous sinus, sphenoid sinus, and the meninges. Although the most common tumors located within this region are pituitary adenoma, it is important to consider other less common entities that will also be discussed in this chapter. Normal pituitary may vary in size with gender and age. Premenopausal women tend to have a larger pituitary gland than men and postmenopausal women. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is generally the modality of choice for identification of lesions within this region. There are a few imaging pitfalls and it is important to be aware that nearly 15–20 % of lesions found within the pituitary are asymptomatic incidental findings. |
