Sphenoid sinus mucosal thickening in patients with non-functioning pituitary adenoma.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate magnetic resonance imaging findings of sphenoid sinus (SS), pituitary gland and related structures in patients with non-functioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) and compare to a control group. This study was conducted in a tertiary referral hospital between January 2018 and July 2020. Sixty-five patients diagnosed with NFPA and age- and gender-matched controls (n=40) were included. The average age in the NFPA group was 37.46±11.2years and in the control group was 41.97±14.88years, and they did not differ significantly (P=.103). SS mucosal thickness greater than 1mm was determined in a higher proportion of NFPA (67.7%) than in the control group (12.5%) (P<.001). A mucosal thickness greater than 3mm was only present in the NFPA group (43.1%). The distance between optic nerves was significantly longer in the NFPA group compared with control (P<.001). There was a strong positive correlation between adenoma volume and distance between the two optic nerves (r=.728, P<.001). Also, there was a moderate positive correlation between adenoma volume and petrous intercarotid distance (ICD) (r=.561, P<.001) and a low positive correlation between adenoma volume and cavernous ICD (r=.408, P<.001). The present study showed an association between NFPA and both SS mucosal thickening and increased distance between optic nerves. Also, our study demonstrated that there was a strong positive correlation between adenoma volume and distance between the two optic nerves.