MR Volumetry of Pituitary Gland in Indian Adults to Establish Normal Reference Values

Abstract

ntroduction: Pituitary gland varies in size and shape among both genders, different age groups and also among different races and ethnicity. Pituitary gland volume measurement more reliably detects subtle changes in size which can be pathological. There is lack of data on normal reference values of pituitary gland volumes in Indian population. Aim: To find out the range of pituitary gland volumes in Indian adults in different age groups across both genders by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies. Materials and Methods: Total 50 apparently healthy individuals were subjected to MRI of pituitary gland. A T1 weighted multiplanar acquisition was performed in sagittal plane with a slice thickness of 0.9mm. Pituitary gland was traced on all slices and volume was calculated. Paired ‘t’ test was used to compare among different age groups and both genders. Results: The mean pituitary volume found in males was 4.78 cm3 and in females it was 4.8 cm3. The largest pituitary glands were seen in 11 to 20 years age group in the females which was significantly larger than that found in males. There was no significant difference in pituitary volume between the two genders at other age groups. The elderly individuals aged more than 50 years showed the smallest pituitary glands. Conclusion: Normal values of pituitary glands with gender and age variations were found out in this study. The data established in this study is proposed to be used as normal reference range.

Keywords

• gender variations
• mean pituitary volume
• t1 weighted multiplanar imaging