title: Usefulness of dual-energy computed tomography imaging in the differential diagnosis of sellar meningiomas and pituitary adenomas: preliminary report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantitatively assess the imaging characteristics of sellar lesion in dual-energy computed tomography (CT) imaging for differentiation of sellar meningiomas and pituitary adenomas during the arterial phase (AP) and venous phase (VP).
  
  
  METHODS
  51 patients with sellar/parasellar tumors (33 macroadenomas and 18 meningiomas) were examined with CT spectral imaging during the AP and the VP. Iodine concentrations were derived from iodine-based material-decomposition CT images and normalized to the iodine concentration in the aorta. The difference in Normalized iodine concentrations (NICs), HU curve slope (λHU), and mean CT values of lesions between the AP and VP were calculated. The two-sample t test was performed to compare quantitative parameters between sellar meningiomas and pituitary adenomas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NICs, λHU, and mean CT values in patients with sellar meningiomas differed significantly from those in patients with pituitary adenomas: Mean NICs were 43.52 mg/mL±1.35 versus 9.23 mg/mL ±2.44, respectively, during the AP and 52.13 mg/mL ±1.04 versus 24.37 mg/mL ±2.23 respectively, during the VP. λHU were -3.03±3.42 versus -0.53±0.23, respectively, during the AP and -2.96±0.41 versus -0.47±0.25, respectively, during the VP. Mean CT values were 193.63±2.08 versus 63.98±2.85, respectively, during the AP and 203.98±0.18 versus 77.66±0.91, respectively, during the VP. The combination of NIC and Mean CT value during VP had highest sensitivity (90.9%) and specificity (100%) among all phases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quantitative dual-energy CT imaging has promising potential for diagnostic differentiation of sellar meningiomas and pituitary adenomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Lian-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Lai
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Qiang
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Lan
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Rong
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zeng-Ai
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019540:Area Under Curve; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007455:Iodine; D008297:Male; D008579:Meningioma / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012658:Sella Turcica / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D007455:Iodine