Evaluation of pituitary gland dimensions by age and gender in healthy individuals in the Turkish population

Yıl 2023, , 604 - 607, 31.05.2023

Ezel Yaltırık Bilgin , Özkan Ünal

https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1263026

Öz

Aim: Evaluating pituitary gland dimensions in varying age ranges and genders is essential for determining average values in MRI examinations. Therefore, the main objective of our study is to create normative data for pituitary gland size in the Turkish population.
Material and Method: Anteroposterior (AP), transverse (TR), and craniocaudal (CC) dimensions of the pituitary glands of 200 patients over 18 years of age, who underwent Brain MRI examination in our centre between November 2022 and March 2023, did not have any known endocrine disease, did not use hormonal therapy, were not pregnant or breastfeeding, had no history of radiotherapy or chemotherapy were measured from their sagittal and axial MRI sequences. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used for normality analyses. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the non-normally distributed numerical variables between the two groups. Spearman correlation was applied to determine the relationship between age and pituitary gland measurement values.
Results: Anteroposterior and craniocaudal measurements of the pituitary gland of female patients included in the study were significantly higher than males (p=0.011 and p<0.01, respectively). When the patients under 50 years of age and those aged 50 and over are grouped, anteroposterior, transverse, and craniocaudal measurements were found to be significantly higher in the group under 50 years old (p<0.001). When the patient groups between 18-29 and 30-49 were compared, anteroposterior, transverse, and craniocaudal measurements were higher in the group between 18-29 (p<0.01, p<0.001, and p=0.026, respectively).
Conclusion: This work gives normative data that may simplify the examination of the pituitary gland in neuroendocrine diseases. It also reveals that gender-specific changes in pituitary size and shape accompany aging. Changes related to race, age, and gender should be kept in mind.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Magnetic resonance imaging, normal pituitary gland, sella turcica

Kaynakça

• Doraiswamy PM, Potts JM, Axelson DA, et al. MR assessment of pituitary gland morphology in healthy volunteers: age- and gender-related differences, AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 1992; 13: 1295-9.
• Tsunoda A, Okuda O, Sato K. MR height of the pituitary gland as a function of age and sex: especially physiological hypertrophy in adolescence and in climacterium, AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 1997; 18: 551-4.
• Wiener SN, Rzeszotarski MS, Droege RT, Pearlstein AE. M. Shafron, measurement of pituitary gland height with MR imaging. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 1985; 6: 717-22.
• Suzuki M, Takashima T, Kadoya M, et al. Height of normal pituitary gland on MR imaging: age and sex differentiation, J Comput Assist Tomogr 1990; 14: 36-9.
• Denk CC, Onderoglu S, Ilgi S, Gurcan F. Height of normal pituitary gland on MRI: differences between age groups and sexes, Okajimas Folia Anat Jpn 1999; 76: 81-7.
• Ibinaiye PO, Olarinoye-Akorede S, Kajogbola O, Bakari AG. Magnetic resonance imaging determination of normal pituitary gland dimensions in Zaria, Northwest Nigerian population, J Clin Imaging Sci 2015; 5: 29.
• Singh AKC, Kandasamy D, Garg A, Jyotsna VP, Khadgawat R. Study of Pituitary morphometry using MRI in Indian subjects. Indian J Endocrinol Metab 2018; 22: 605-9.
• Elster AD, Chen MY, Williams DW 3rd, Key LL. Pituitary gland: MR imaging of physiologic hypertrophy in adolescence, Radiology 1990; 174: 681-5.
• Kato K, Saeki N, Yamaura A. Morphological changes on MR imaging of the normal pituitary gland related to age and sex: main emphasis on pubescent females, J Clin Neurosci 2002; 9: 53-6.
• Tsunoda A, Okuda O, Sato K. MR height of the pituitary gland as a function of age and sex: Especially physiological hypertrophy in adolescence and in climacterium. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 1997; 18: 551–4
• Sahni D, Jit I, Harjeet, Neelam, Bhansali A. Weight and dimensions of the pituitary in northwestern Indians. Pituitary 2006; 9(1): 19-26.
• Ibinaiye PO, Olarinoye-Akorede S, Kajogbola O, Bakari AG. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Determination of Normal Pituitary Gland Dimensions in Zaria, Northwest Nigerian Population. J Clin Imaging Sci 2015; 5: 29.
• Doraiswamy PM, Potts JM, Axelson DA, et al MR assessment of pituitary gland morphology in healthy volunteers: Age- and gender-related differences AJNR Am J Neurodiol. 1992; 13: 1295–9.
• Dietrich RB, Lis LE, Greensite FS, Pitt D. Normal MR appearance of the pituitary gland in the first 2 years of life Am J Neuroradiol 1995; 16: 1413–9.
• Bughio S, Ali M, Mughal AM. Estimation of pituitary gland volume by magnetic resonance imaging and its correlation with sex and age. Pakistan J Radiol 2017; 27: 304–8.
• Suzuki M, Takashima T, Kadoya M, et al. Height of normal pituitary gland on MR imaging: age and sex differentiation. J Comput Assist Tomogr 1990; 14: 36–9.
• Ikram MF, Sajjad Z, Shokh IS, Omair A. Pituitary height on magnetic resonance imaging observation of age and sex related changes. J Pak Med Assoc 2008; 58: 261-5.
• Berntsen EM, Haukedal MD, Håberg AK. Normative data for pituitary size and volume in the general population between 50 and 66 years. Pituitary 2021; 24: 737–45.
• Sari S, Sari E, Akgun V, et al. Measures of pituitary gland and stalk: from neonate to adolescence. Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, 2014; 27: 1071-6.
• Polat SÖ, Öksüzler FY, Öksüzler M, Uygur AG, Yücel AH. The determination of the pituitary gland, optic chiasm, and intercavernous distance measurements in healthy subjects according to age and gender. Folia Morphol 2020; 79: 28-35.