There is no agreed-upon schedule for MRI follow-up after @entity977 via the transsphenoidal approach. Our aim was to establish a plan for MRI follow-up after pituitary surgery. Eighty pituitary @entity652 cases (25 microadenomas, 30 macroadenomas that did not infiltrate the cavernous sinus, and 25 macroadenomas with @entity15265 ) were prospectively studied with MRI following tumor resection via the transsphenoidal approach. Each @entity1 was imaged at 24 hours, at 3, 6 and 9 months, and at 1 year or more postsurgery. The parameters studied were @entity41 , synthetic packing material (Gelfoam) versus fat graft, and normal pituitary, hypophyseal stalk and optic chiasma. The size of the pituitary structure as a whole was also measured. The latter was studied quantitatively, and the findings for the rest of the parameters were evaluated qualitatively, based on the examiners' confidence in their assessment. The final MRI study, done at least 1 year postsurgery in all cases, was considered the reference MRI for all scans. MRI performed 24 hours after surgery was diagnostically accurate for @entity41 and valuable for visualizing normal sellar structures. The findings also showed that fat packing takes longer to resorb than Gelfoam, but produces no potentially confounding contrast enhancement. An algorithm based on the results is presented for postsurgical MRI assessment of pituitary @entity652 @entity1 in which the scan at 24 hours postsurgery is the major factor that determines the timing of later rechecks.

Determining optimal MRI follow-up after transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary XXXX : scan at 24 hours postsurgery provides reliable information.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients', 'patient'] @entity41 :: ('MESH:D018365', 'Disease') :: ['residual tumor'] @entity15265 :: ('MESH:D020226', 'Disease') :: ['cavernous sinus infiltration'] @entity977 :: ('MESH:D010911', 'Disease') :: ['pituitary adenoma removal'] @entity652 :: ('MESH:D000236', 'Disease') :: ['adenoma']
@entity652 :: (MESH:D000236,Disease) :: ['adenoma']
