MRI follow-up after transsphenoidal surgery in patients with nonfunctional pituitary macroadenoma / 中国微创外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the optimal time of MRI follow-up after transsphenoidal surgery in patients with nonfunctional pituitary macroadenoma. Methods MRI records of 50 patients before surgery,within 1 postoperative week (early stage),at 3 months (intermediate stage) and 1 year after surgery (late stage),respectively,were retrospectively analyzed.Dynamic changes in the sella turcica were observed and the degrees of tumor excision were studied before and after MRI T 1-weighted enhanced scans at different postoperative stages. Results In the early stage MRI images showed that the size of sellar contents decreased by 8%～32%,tumor disappeared in 22 cases,and suspected residual tumor was found in 28 cases.At 3 months after surgery,MRI scans revealed that sellar contents decreased by 11%～85% in size.On coronal position MRI scans,the size of sellar contents decreased more than 50% in 11 cases,30%～50% in 9 cases,less than 30% in 8 cases.Out of the 28 cases that were suspected of residual tumor in the early stage,confirmation of residual tumor in the sella turcica was made in 23 cases.MRI findings 1 year after surgery showed no change in the sella turcica in 46 cases and continuing to decrease in 4 cases. Conclusions Re-examination of MRI in intermediate stage after transsphenoidal surgery in patients with nonfunctional pituitary macroadenoma facilitates the detection of residual tumor and recurrence.