Computed tomographic evaluation of sellar and parasellar tumors

ABSTRACT

The advent of computerized cranial tomography made a greater advance in the diagnosis of very wide variety of intracranial lesions. Authors analyzed 58 pathologically proven sellar and parasellar tumors examined at Kyung Hee Un-iversity Hospital from Oct. 1977 to Jun. 1981 and the results were as follows; 1. The distribution of the tumors is 28 pituitary adenomas, 18 craniopharyngiomas, 5 meningiomas, 4 germinomas, 2 astrocytomas, and 1 sphenoid mucocele. 2. In pituitary adenoma, the precontrast CT scan of tumors appeared as isodensity in 11 cases, mixed density in 8 cases, high density in 6 cases, and low density in 3 cases, and associated with destruction of sellar turcica in 15 cases, calcification in 3 cases, and hydrocephalus in 2 cases. The postcontrast CT scan study revealed 24 cases of contrast enhancement, including 17 cases of homogenous and 7 cases of ring or rim enhancement. 3. In craniopharyngioma, the precontrast CT scan of tumors appeared as low density in 12 cases, isodensity in 4 cases and high density in 2 cases and associated with calcification in 16 cases, hydrocephalus in 15 cases and destruction of sellar turcica in 2 cases. The postcontrast CT scan study revealed no enhancement in 10 cases and contrast enhancement in 8 cases including 6 of ring enhancement and 2 heterogenous enhancement.