Correlation of ocular findings and plain skull roentgenogram in pituitary adenoma.

A review of the conditions of 44 consecutive patients diagnosed as having pituitary tumor is presented. In none of those with abnormal visual acuity, visual field defect, or extraocular muscle palsy was the plain skull roentgenogram normal. In all but one patient who had an abnormality on ocular examination), there was erosion of the clinoids on the plain lateral skull roentgenogram and, in that one patient, erosion was found on the side of the visual loss by the use of tomography. Based on these observations, we have stressed primarily the early use of simple plain skull roentgenograms in the evaluation of the conditions of patients with unexplained visual loss or extraocular movement palsy. We have also presented a scheme for evaluation of the conditions and the follow-up of patients suspected of having pituitary tumors.