Apparent diffusion coefficient of pituitary macroadenoma evaluated with line-scan diffusion-weighted imaging.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to evaluate the consistency of pituitary macroadenoma using apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) with line-scan diffusion-weighted imaging (LSDWI).


METHODS
Patients with pituitary macroadenoma (n=19) were studied prospectively. The LSDWI was performed using a maximum b factor of 1000 s/mm2. The consistency of macroadenoma was rated as soft, intermediate or hard at transsphenoidal surgery. The ADC values of tumors were compared with the tumor-consistency ratings.


RESULTS
A soft consistency was found at surgery in 13 patients (mean ADC: 0.84+/-0.1x10(-3) mm2/s); an intermediate consistency was observed in six patients (mean ADC: 0.81+/-0.16x10(-3) mm2/s). No tumors of hard consistency were found. There was no significant difference in ADC values between tumors of soft consistency compared with tumors of intermediate consistency (P=0.37).


CONCLUSIONS
A relationship between tumor consistency and the ADCs of soft and intermediate macroadenomas was not shown in this study using LSDWI.
Suzuki
C
C
Department of Radiology, Mie University School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie 514-8507, Japan.
Maeda
M
M
Hori
K
K
Kozuka
Y
Y
Sakuma
H
H
Taki
W
W
Takeda
K
K
D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016880:Anisotropy; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011446:Prospective Studies