Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the consistency of pituitary macroadenoma using apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) with line-scan diffusion-weighted imaging (LSDWI).
Methods: Patients with pituitary macroadenoma (n=19) were studied prospectively. The LSDWI was performed using a maximum b factor of 1000 s/mm2. The consistency of macroadenoma was rated as soft, intermediate or hard at transsphenoidal surgery. The ADC values of tumors were compared with the tumor-consistency ratings.
Results: A soft consistency was found at surgery in 13 patients (mean ADC: 0.84+/-0.1x10(-3) mm2/s); an intermediate consistency was observed in six patients (mean ADC: 0.81+/-0.16x10(-3) mm2/s). No tumors of hard consistency were found. There was no significant difference in ADC values between tumors of soft consistency compared with tumors of intermediate consistency (P=0.37).
Conclusions: A relationship between tumor consistency and the ADCs of soft and intermediate macroadenomas was not shown in this study using LSDWI.