title: T2-weighted MRI signal intensity as a predictor of hormonal and tumoral responses to somatostatin receptor ligands in acromegaly: a perspective.
abstract: T2-weighted MRI signal intensity of GH-secreting pituitary adenomas is gaining recognition as a marker of disease characteristics and may be a predictor of response to treatment of acromegaly. Adenomas that are T2-hypointense are more common, are smaller and are less likely to invade the cavernous sinus compared to the T2-iso and hyperintense tumors. T2-hypointense tumors are also accompanied by higher IGF1 values at baseline. When presurgical somatostatin receptor ligand (SRL) therapy is administered, T2-hypointense adenomas have better hormonal responses and have greater tumor shrinkage. Adjuvant SRL therapy of patients with T2-hypointense tumors that are uncured by surgery is also associated with a better hormonal response. We review the studies that have dealt with the T2-weighted signal intensity of GH-secreting pituitary tumors and elaborate on the details and nuances of this promising avenue of research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, Université de Liège, Domaine Universitaire du Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
authors.forename: Iulia
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Potorac
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, Université de Liège, Domaine Universitaire du Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium. albert.beckers@ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beckers
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, Université de Liège, Domaine Universitaire du Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium. bonnevillejf@gmail.com.|Department of Neuroradiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, Université de Liège, Domaine Universitaire du Sart-Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium. bonnevillejf@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Bonneville
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin / Q000819:agonists / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin; D019382:Human Growth Hormone
keywords: Acromegaly; MRI; Somatostatin receptor ligands; T2-weighted signal intensity