PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Sakurai, K
AU  - Fujita, N
AU  - Harada, K
AU  - Kim, S W
AU  - Nakanishi, K
AU  - Kozuka, T
TI  - Magnetic susceptibility artifact in spin-echo MR imaging of the pituitary gland.
DP  - 1992 Sep 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 1301--1308
VI  - 13
IP  - 5
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/13/5/1301.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/13/5/1301.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.1992 Sep 01; 13
AB  - PURPOSE To evaluate the magnetic susceptibility effect on spin-echo MR images of the pituitary gland.METHODS Air-in-water phantom experiments and studies in normal volunteers were performed using various sampling bandwidth (8.3-33.3 kHz) spin-echo sequences with the polarity of the readout gradient normal or reversed.RESULTS Attachment of a sphenoid septum to the sellar floor was the major factor in the appearance of the inferior surface of the pituitary gland. Patterns of distortion and/or artifactual signal intensities, related to the presence or absence of the attachment, were accentuated on the images with narrower bandwidth. A "spearhead shape" deformity of the sphenoid sinus was observed both in the air-in-water phantom experiment, and when no sphenoid septum was present. When a sphenoid septum was present, two spearhead shapes side by side were present. High-intensity artifacts were seen where the sellar floor was misplaced into the pituitary gland.CONCLUSION Knowledge of the patterns of distortion and high-intensity artifact is important in the diagnosis of pituitary lesions.