title: Pituitary macroadenoma: analysis of intercarotid artery distance compared to controls.
abstract: Objective To evaluate the intercarotid distance (ICD) of patients with pituitary macroadenoma and compare to heatlhy controls. Method We retrospectively reviewed contrast-enhanced MRI images from twenty consecutive patients diagnosed with non-functioning pituitary macroadenoma, measured the ICD at two different levels (petrous segment - ICD1 and horizontal cavernous segment - ICD2) and compared to twenty paired controls. Results There was no statistically significant difference of the mean ICD1 between the groups and subgroups. For the ICD2 there was statistically significant difference between the case and controls. However, there was no significant difference between the patients with smaller adenomas and the controls. In contrast, the patients with giant adenomas showed statistically significantly higher ICD2 than the controls. Conclusion The ICD at the horizontal segment of the cavernous carotid tends to be wider in patients with giant pituitary adenomas than in healthy individuals or patients with smaller adenomas.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurocirugia, Galeão Air Force Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Cristian Ferrareze
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurocirugia, Galeão Air Force Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Gustavo Augusto Porto Sereno
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurocirugia, Galeão Air Force Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: José Orlando de
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Mello Junior
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurocirugia, Galeão Air Force Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Mario Alberto
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lapenta
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurocirugia, Galeão Air Force Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: José Alberto
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Landeiro
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002426:Cavernous Sinus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013101:Sphenoid Sinus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult