title: High-Resolution DCE-MRI of the Pituitary Gland Using Radial k-Space Acquisition with Compressed Sensing Reconstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The pituitary gland is located outside of the blood-brain barrier. Dynamic T1 weighted contrast enhanced sequence is considered to be the gold standard to evaluate this region. However, it does not allow assessment of intrinsic permeability properties of the gland. Our aim was to demonstrate the utility of radial volumetric interpolated brain examination with the golden-angle radial sparse parallel technique to evaluate permeability characteristics of the individual components (anterior and posterior gland and the median eminence) of the pituitary gland and areas of differential enhancement and to optimize the study acquisition time.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was performed in 52 patients (group 1, 25 patients with normal pituitary glands; and group 2, 27 patients with a known diagnosis of microadenoma). Radial volumetric interpolated brain examination sequences with golden-angle radial sparse parallel technique were evaluated with an ROI-based method to obtain signal-time curves and permeability measures of individual normal structures within the pituitary gland and areas of differential enhancement. Statistical analyses were performed to assess differences in the permeability parameters of these individual regions and optimize the study acquisition time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Signal-time curves from the posterior pituitary gland and median eminence demonstrated a faster wash-in and time of maximum enhancement with a lower peak of enhancement compared with the anterior pituitary gland (P < .005). Time-optimization analysis demonstrated that 120 seconds is ideal for dynamic pituitary gland evaluation. In the absence of a clinical history, differences in the signal-time curves allow easy distinction between a simple cyst and a microadenoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This retrospective study confirms the ability of the golden-angle radial sparse parallel technique to evaluate the permeability characteristics of the pituitary gland and establishes 120 seconds as the ideal acquisition time for dynamic pituitary gland imaging.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York. camilla.rossiespagnet@gmail.com.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rossi Espagnet
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: L
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6257-0314
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bangiyev
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haber
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Block
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Babb
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ruggiero
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boada
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gonen
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, New York.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Fatterpekar
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D044962:Data Compression / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies