5. Qin Bang

5. Qin Bang

Please help me interpret the results of my pituitary MRI examination: The coronal and sagittal views show a small pituitary gland, with no abnormalities in the posterior lobe or stalk. The anterior lobe shows isointense on T1 and slightly hyperintense on T2, measuring 4 mm in vertical dimension, with significant enhancement on dynamic and contrast-enhanced scans. A long T1 and long T2 signal lesion is visible within the sella turcica. The mucosa of the left anterior ethmoid sinus and frontal sinus is thickened and shows long T2 signal.

Answer: Based on your MRI findings, there doesn’t seem to be a major problem. It neither confirms nor denies disease in the anterior pituitary. The anterior pituitary consists of three types of cells: basophils, acidophils, and chromophobes. These three cell types differ only in function, not in signal characteristics, because they are intermingled. Basophils secrete adrenocorticotropic hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone, and gonadotropins; acidophils secrete prolactin and growth hormone; chromophobes do not secrete hormones. Clinically, relevant symptoms can determine the nature of a pituitary tumor. The thickening of the mucosa in the left ethmoid and frontal sinuses indicates inflammation, suggesting sinusitis.

Selected Clinical Q&A in Traditional Chinese Medicine