Tissue architecture and blood supply distribution of pituitary gland

Objective To discuss the tissue architecture of pituitary gland and the distribution of blood supply in different parts of pituitary gland. Methods Key words of "垂体" "组织构筑" "血供分布" "影像学" and "pituitary" "tissue architecture" "blood supply distribution" "imaging" were used to search the literatures related to the study of pituitary and pituitary-related diseases in PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI and Wanfang Data before October 2018. Results A total of 1 536 literatures were searched, in which 26 articles (4 Chinese and 22 English) were finally included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The pituitary gland was mainly divided into two parts: adenohypophysis (anterior lobe) and neurohypophysis (posterior lobe). The adenohypophysis included pars tuberalis, middle part and distal part. The neurohypophysis included median eminence, infundibular stem and infundibular process. There were also some constant areas in the pituitary that were closely relate to the distribution of blood vessels. Blood supply of the pituitary is mainly derived from the branches of the internal carotid artery, the superior pituitary artery and the inferior pituitary artery. The anterior pituitary lobe was mainly supplied by the superior pituitary artery. The inferior pituitary artery supplied blood to the posterior pituitary lobe and send to small branches to the posterior part of the anterior pituitary lobe. The internal blood of the pituitary gland was mainly returned to the internal jugular vein system through the portal vein, the blood sinus inside the pituitary gland, the micro vein on the surface of the pituitary gland and nearby cavernous sinus. Conclusions The pituitary gland is small, but its structure is complex. Specific blood supply and blood flow mode in pituitary gland are not clear. Blood flow distribution of pituitary and pituitary related diseases need to be further studied. Key words: Pituitary gland; Tissue architecture; Blood supply distribution; Imaging