Purpose: To investigate differences between pituitary adenoma and craniopharyngioma on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with image features and three-dimensional texture features.
Materials and methods: A total of 126 patients diagnosed with pituitary adenoma (N = 63) or craniopharyngioma (N = 63) were enrolled. Qualitative magnetic resonance (MR) image features and texture features of tumors were extracted from preoperative MRI and evaluated using chi-square test or Mann-Whitney U test. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to assess their abilities as independent diagnostic predictors, and ROC analyses were conducted to evaluate the diagnostic value of significant features. Mann-Whitney U test and ROC analyses were performed to explore the relationship between MR image features and texture features.
Results: Five MR image features were suggested to be significantly different between pituitary adenoma and craniopharyngioma. Three texture features from contrast-enhanced T1WI (HISTO-Skewness, GLCM-Contrast and GLCM-Energy), two texture features from T2WI (HISTO-Skewness and GLCM-Contrast) showed significant differences between two types of tumors. Logistic regression analyses suggested GLCM-Energy from contrast-enhanced T1WI, HISTO-Skewness and GLCM-Contrast from T2WI could be taken as independent predictors. Moreover, HISTO-Skewness and GLCM-Contrast from T2WI were found to be significantly related to cystic change.
Conclusion: MR image features and texture features were associated with each other, and both types of features represented feasible diagnostic value in discrimination between pituitary adenoma and craniopharyngioma.
Keywords: Craniopharyngioma; Magnetic resonance imaging; Pituitary adenoma; Texture analysis.