Pituitary (2017) 20:441–449 DOI 10.1007/s11102-017-0804-z

Sphenoid sinus mucosal thickening in the acute phase of pituitary apoplexy Mueez Waqar1,4 · Robert McCreary2 · Tara Kearney3 · Konstantina Karabatsou1 · Kanna K. Gnanalingham1,4 

Published online: 18 April 2017 © The Author(s) 2017. This article is an open access publication

Abstract  Purpose  In pituitary apoplexy (PA), there are preliminary reports on the appearance of sphenoid sinus mucosal thickening (SSMT). SSMT is otherwise uncommon with an incidence of up to 7% in asymptomatic individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence and clinical significance of SSMT in patients with PA and a control group of surgically treated non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs). Methods  Retrospective review of clinical and imaging variables in PA and NFPA patients. Sphenoid sinus mucosal thickness was measured on the presenting MRI scan by a blinded neuroradiologist. Pathological SSMT was defined as >1 mm adjacent to the pituitary fossa. Forward stepwise logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with SSMT. Results  There were 50 NFPA and 47 PA patients. PA patients were managed conservatively (N = 11) or surgically (N = 36). The median sphenoid sinus mucosal thickness was greater in the PA than NFPA groups (2.0 vs. Oral presentation at the British Neurosurgical Research Group (BNRG) Meeting, Birmingham, United Kingdom (March 2017). * Kanna K. Gnanalingham [email protected] 1

Department of Neurosurgery, Greater Manchester Neuroscience Centre, Salford Royal Foundation Trust (SRFT), Stott Lane, Salford M6 8HD, UK

2

Department of Neuroradiology, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK

3

Department of Endocrinology, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK

4

Manchester Academic Health Sciences Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK





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