Size, shape, and appearance of the normal female pituitary gland

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2214/ajr.143.2.377· OSTI ID:6867160

Wolpert, S M; Molitch, M E; Goldman, J A; Wood, J B

One hundred seven women 18-65 years old were studied who were referred for suspected central nervous system disease not related to the pituitary gland or hypothalamus. High-resolution, direct, coronal, contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) was used to examine the size; shape, and density of the normal pituitary gland. There were three major conclusions: (1) the height of the normal gland can be as much as 9 mm; (2) the superior margin of the gland may bulge in normal patients; and (3) both large size and convex contour appear to be associated with younger age. It was also found that serum prolactin levels do not appear to correlate with the CT appearances. Noise artifacts inherent in high-detail, thin-section, soft-tissue scanning may be a limiting factor in defining reproducible patterns in different parts of the normal pituitary gland.

• Research Organization: New England Medical Center, Boston, MA
• OSTI ID: 6867160
• Journal Information: AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States), Journal Name: AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States) Vol. 143:2; ISSN AAJRD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550602* -- Medicine-- External Radiation in Diagnostics-- (1980-)
550800 -- Morphology
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ANATOMY
ANIMALS
BLOOD SERUM
BODY
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
FEMALES
GLANDS
GONADOTROPINS
HORMONES
LTH
MAMMALS
MAN
ORGANS
PEPTIDE HORMONES
PITUITARY GLAND
PITUITARY HORMONES
PRIMATES
SIZE
TOMOGRAPHY
VERTEBRATES
WOMEN