Master of all endocrine activity and executive organ of one's quality of life, the pituitary gland is tightly lodged in the" turkish saddle. " As a bony container, the sella turcica is to the hypophysis what the skull is to the brain; it can therefore be looked upon as a little vault within the cranial vault. Just as the cranium is moulded by the growth of the brain, so is the sella fashioned by its content. It becomes locally enlarged in response to expanding intrasellar lesions, and it tends to return to its original size and shape upon their removal or destruction. Pituitary adenomas have in the past been diagnosed upon enlargement of the sella turcica. In the past decade, as a direct result of interdisciplinary coopera- tion, we have learned that tiny adenomas, the immediate cause of some cases of acromegaly, amenorrhea-galactorrhea syndrome, or Cushing's disease, can exist with minimal or no observable effect on the size of the sella. The break- through started when radioimmunoassay, as a new method of accurately measur- ing specific hormonal output, indicated selective pituitary oversecretions in pa- tients with normal-sized sellae. Neurosurgeons highly skilled in the transsphenoi- dal approach with the surgical microscope were obliged to operate on some of these patients and confirmed the presence of tiny oversecreting adenomas in their pituitary glands.

This volume is the latest in the series Exercises in Radio logical Diagnosis, launched by the Strasbourg School of Radio logy. Further volumes on the facial bones, senology, and abdominal tomography are in preparation. Jean-Louis Dietemann has over a decade's experience of radiodiagnosis of the skull, and has already proven his talents as a teacher with his earlier books on the sella turcica and on carotid angiography. The present volume will assuredly be a great success and will enhance the series. Professor A. W ACKENHEIM Hospices Civils de Strasbourg Centre Hospitalier Regional Service de Radiologie I Strasbourg v Contents Part One: Iconography . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 1 . Part Two: Commentary with Corresponding Schemata. 85 References . . 165 Subject Index 167 VII Part One Iconography 1 1 a b 3 2 a b 4 3 4 5 6 6 a b 7 7 8 8 a b 9 9 10 10 11 a b 11 12 13 a b 13 a b 14 b 15 16 17 16 17 20 18 21 a b 19 22 a b 20 21 24 a b 22 b 23 26 27 24 a 25 26 29 27 31 32 28 33 34 29 35 36 30 37 a b 31 38 39 32 40 41 33 42 43 34 44 a b 35 44 c 45 a 36 45 b ~----~------~~ c 37 46 47 38 48 49 39 50 a b 40 41 52 53 a 42 53 b 54 a 43 54 b 55 44 56

Mit der vorliegenden Arbeit von Jean-Louis Dietemann wird die von der StraBburger radiologischen Schule initiierte Sammlung der radiodiagnostischen Ubungen vermehrt. Wei tere Bande tiber die Radiologie des Gesichtsschadels, tiber die Senologie sowie tiber abdominale Tomographie sind in Vorbereitung. Jean-Louis Dietemann, der dies en Band der radiologischen Diagnostik des Schadels widmet, ist seit mehr als einem Jahrzehnt mit diesem Problemkreis konfrontiert. Seine didak tischen Fahigkeiten hat er bereits in Btichem tiber die Sella turcica und tiber die zerebrale Angiographie unter Beweis gestellt. Zweifellos wird auch sein drittes Werk ein grofier Erfolg werden, ein Glanzlicht in der Reihe der diagnostischen Ubungen. Professor A. W ACKENHEIM Hospices Civils de Strasbourg Centre Hospitalier Regional Service de Radiologie I Strasbourg v Inhaltsverzeichnis 1. Tei1: R6ntgenbilder . . . 1 2. Teil: Text und Schemata. 85 Literaturverzeichnis . 165 Sachverzeichnis. . . 167 VII 1. Teil Rontgenbllder 1 1 a b 3 2 a b 4 3 4 5 6 6 a b 7 7 8 8 a b 9 9 10 10 11 a b 11 12 a b 12 13 a b 13 14 a b 14 a b 15 16 17 16 18 17 20 18 21 a b 19 20 23 21 24 a b 22 25 a b 23 26 27 24 28 25 28 b c 26 29 30 27 31 32 28 33 34 29 35 36 30 37 a b 31 38 39 32 40 41 33 42 43 34 44 a b 35 44 c 45 a 36 45 b c"