title: MANAGEMENT OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: Pituitary 'incidentaloma': neuroradiological assessment and differential diagnosis.
abstract: Pituitary incidentalomas are a by-product of modern imaging technology. The term 'incidentaloma' is neither a distinct diagnosis nor a pathological entity. Rather, it is a collective designation for different entities that are discovered fortuitously, requiring a working diagnosis based on the input of the radiologist, endocrinologist and often a neurosurgeon. In addition to pathological conditions affecting the pituitary gland, a thorough knowledge of the radiological characteristics of normal variants and technical artifacts is required to arrive at an accurate differential diagnosis. After careful radiological and hormonal evaluation, the vast majority of pituitary incidentalomas turn out to be non-functioning pituitary microadenomas and Rathke's cleft cysts (RCCs). Based on the low growth potential of non-functioning pituitary microadenomas and RCCs, periodic MRI surveillance is currently considered the optimal management strategy. Stricter follow-up is required for macroadenomas, as increases in size occur more frequently.
authors.affiliation: Department of EndocrinologyCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, University of Liège, Belgium Clinical Centre of Endocrinology and GerontologyMedical University, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vasilev
authors.affiliation: Department of EndocrinologyCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, University of Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Liliya
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rostomyan
authors.affiliation: Department of EndocrinologyCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, University of Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Adrian F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Daly
authors.affiliation: Department of EndocrinologyCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, University of Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Iulia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Potorac
authors.affiliation: Clinical Centre of Endocrinology and GerontologyMedical University, Sofia, Bulgaria.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zacharieva
authors.affiliation: Department of EndocrinologyCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, University of Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Bonneville
authors.affiliation: Department of EndocrinologyCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, University of Liège, Belgium albert.beckers@chu.ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beckers
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D020863:Central Nervous System Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology