Sellar and juxtasellar lesion detection with MR.

We compared the effectiveness of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and computed tomography (CT) in evaluating sellar and juxtasellar lesions. Fifty-five lesions were imaged with a Technicare 0.5-T superconducting MR imager and GE 9800 and 8800 CT scanners: 26 pituitary adenomas (including six microadenomas), six craniopharyngiomas, two empty sellae, five meningiomas, four optic chiasmal gliomas, five hypothalamic gliomas, two giant aneurysms, and one each of teratoma, gasserian ganglion neuroma, histiocytoma, cholesteatoma, and metastases. Although CT scans showed the abnormalities in most cases, MR was superior in delineating distortions of the optic chiasma and other suprasellar structures, and in demonstrating the status of the carotid arteries. MR can reveal fat, hematoma, and cyst and can be used to differentiate the pathologic features of many lesions. Microadenomas that do not enlarge the sella were not demonstrated with current MR techniques.