Contribution of MRI to the diagnosis of ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas. Exploration of 9 patients with Cushing's disease

Abstract

Between June 1987 and October 1989, nine patients with suspected Cushing's disease were explored by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), using an 0.35 or 0.5 Tesla magnet. All these patients underwent transsphenoidal surgery and radio-surgical correlations could be established. MRI showed a lesion in 5 cases; it was negative in 2 cases and doubtful in 2 cases. Surgery was positive for pituitary adenoma in 7 cases and negative in 2 cases (including 1 patient with subsequently discovered paraneoplastic syndrome). Using sagittal and coronal planes and combined with gadolinium enhancement, MRI proved to be the most sensitive and specific of all exploratory methods for the diagnosis of ACTH-secreting pituitary adenomas.