Increased diagnostic confidence in the diagnosis of pituitary micro-lesions with the addition of three-dimensional sampling perfection with application-optimized contrasts using different flip-angle evolutions sequences:

BackgroundConventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is adversely affected by thick slices, small intersection gaps, and the partial volume effect, leading to the missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis of pituitary micro-lesions.PurposeTo evaluate the diagnostic yield of three-dimensional sampling perfection with application-optimized contrasts using different flip-angle evolutions (3D-T2 SPACE) sequences compared with a standard MRI protocol for the diagnosis of pituitary micro-lesions.Material and MethodsThe MRI findings of 664 patients with clinically suspected pituitary lesions were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent coronal 3D-T2 SPACE sequences followed by T1-weighted (T1W) imaging. Conventional scanning sequences included coronal and sagittal T1W imaging and post-contrast enhanced coronal and sagittal T1 imaging. All images were independently evaluated by two experienced neuroradiologists. The inter-observer agreement was analyzed using kappa statistics.ResultsCompared with conventional ...