my mom had a ct scan and she gave me the printout that says There is a mass within the sella turcica with circumscribed margins, isodense to slightly hyperdense to brain.. This is 18 by 17 mm in cross sectional diameter and protrudes into the suprasellar cistern. There may be chiasmatic compression. Not unlikely a pituitary macroadenoma.I hve no idea what this means. She has a MRI apt. but id like to find out what this means. ig oogled but if anyone had any experience w this let me know.
thanks.
Beth - The sella turcica is part of a bone in your skull called the sphenoid bone. The sella turcica looks a bit like a very small saddle, which the pituitary gland sits on. The pituitary gland hangs down from the underside of the brain, is connected by a thin stalk, and is about the size of a pea normally.
ReplyDeleteThe pituitary gland makes many hormones. Some of these hormones control the functions of the ovaries, the kidneys, and the adrenal glands. The pituitary gland also makes growth hormone.
So, the radiologist report says there is a mass (swelling) which is sitting on the sella turcica where the pituitary gland is. It has a circumscribed margin which means it has easily seen, clearly defined edges. This is a good sign as cancerous growths normally don't have well circumscribed margins.
Isodense to slightly hyperdense means that it looks roughly the same shade of grey as the brain, maybe a little brighter. If you took a knife and cut the mass open, it would be about 2cm across. The report says that it protrudes into the suprasellar cistern: this means the mass pokes into a vein in the brain which sits very close to the pituitary gland. Chiasmatic compression: this is talking about the optic chiasma, which is a part where the optic nerves cross over in the brain. The radiologist is saying the mass is possibly putting some pressure on the nerves that carry visual information to the brain. Not unlikely a pituitary macroadenoma: the radiologist suspects the mass is a benign (NOT cancerous) tumour of the pituitary gland. It is called a macroadenoma instead of a microadenoma if it is bigger than 1cm.
The MRI will be able to show more detail about the mass and hopefully allow the Drs to see exactly what it is. For now, try not to worry: pituitary adenomas are relatively common, and sometimes they don't have any symptoms. If they cause symptoms they can be removed quite safely. Best of luck!
april - Sounds like it's more than likely a pituitary tumor.
ReplyDeleteTiny - Even if you were a brain surgeon you would want to wait for her appt and reading. You can't know how this pathology finding individually relates to her situation until you talk with the doctor.
ReplyDeleteMy advice is to just wait don't speculate. Best Wishes