The Pituitary Gland Measurements in Sudanese Females using Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background: Assessment of the pituitary gland (PG) measurements is essential for the diagnosis of many pathological conditions. For Sudanese adult females, however, there have been no studies and no reference values for PG measurements. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the regular dimensions of the PG, using MRI, and to correlate these measurements with age, the shape of sella turcica, puberty age, and parity in Sudanese females. Methods and Results: This cross-sectional study was done to assess the PG measurement in Sudanese adult females (n=63) aged between 20 years and 60 years who underwent a brain MRI examination between 2015 and 2019. The study was conducted at Yastabshiroon Umodorman Medical Center (Khartoum, Sudan). The MRI brain examination found that the mean length, depth, width, and volume of the PG were 10.57±1.27 mm, 5.56±1.42 mm, 12.18±1.67 mm, and 356.38±100.22 mm3, respectively. Concerning the shape of the sella turcica, the study revealed that the convex and concave shape were more frequent than others (39.7% and 34.9%, respectively). The depth, width, length, and volume of the gland had changed significantly with pituitary shapes. The PG depth was significantly higher in nulliparous females than multiparous ones. Conclusion: The PG measurement in adult Sudanese females decreased in the sagittal depth and volume gradually till the age of 50 years then returned to increasing after age 50. Younger females in the age group of 20-30 years had a larger depth and volume of the gland than other age groups.