Computerized tomography of a sellar spine. Case report.

A presumed developmental variant of the dorsum sellae was found in a patient undergoing evaluation for a suspected pituitary adenoma. An initial computerized tomography (CT) scan suggested a suprasellar mass; however, high-resolution CT with reformations clearly revealed the mass to be the pituitary gland, which was deformed and displaced upward by an osseous spine projecting from the dorsum sellae. The radiographic appearance and etiology of this anomaly are discussed. Neurosurgeons and neuroradiologists should be aware of this anomaly when evaluating a patient for pituitary adenoma.