{"id":"c6245efb-e227-40f4-87dc-2c3adfb06c71","slug":"a-pituitary-gland-squeezed-upward-by-intrasellar-kissing-carotid-arteries-mimicking-a-pituitary-microadenoma","title":"A pituitary gland squeezed upward by intrasellar kissing carotid arteries: Mimicking a pituitary microadenoma","authors":["Eri Inoue","Shingo Fujio","Hiroshi Hosoyama","Shinichiro Yoshimura","FM Moinuddin","Ryosuke Hanaya","Kazunori Arita"],"abstract":"Background: Intrasellar kissing carotid arteries are a rare variant in which bilateral internal carotid arteries run very near each other at their cavernous sinus portion. We encountered a woman with the pituitary gland mimicking a pituitary microadenoma because the pituitary gland was compressed bilaterally by intrasellar kissing carotid arteries. Case Description: A 61-year-old woman with a chronic headache underwent magnetic resonance imaging, which revealed a sellar mass measuring 10.2 mm in height, 8.2 mm in length, and 4.0 mm in width at the midintercarotid level. Blood levels of all pituitary and target-organ hormones were within normal range. The height and superior convex shape of the sellar mass suggested that it was a nonfunctioning microadenoma, which was monitored over the past 16 years. A recent three-dimensional reconstruction of magnetic resonance angiography clearly showed that the pituitary gland was squeezed upward, compressed bilaterally, and extended superiorly by intrasellar kissing carotid arteries. Conclusion: The pituitary gland can be squeezed upward by intrasellar kissing carotid arteries and mimic pituitary tumor.","thumbnailUrl":"https://sni-digital-videos.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/c6245efb-e227-40f4-87dc-2c3adfb06c71/featured/hero-1781559167554.png","publishDate":"2024-10-11T00:00:00.000Z","doi":"10.25259/SNI_559_2024","categories":["Unique Case Observations","Case Report"],"fullTextUrl":"https://surgicalneurologyint.com/api/articles/c6245efb-e227-40f4-87dc-2c3adfb06c71/pdf"}