Pituitary Gland Enlargement Was First Diagnosed by Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)

OCT is now an established way to measure the thickness of the Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer (RNFL) in the retina of the eye. The thickness of the RNFL is always a reflection of the number of the RNFs in any particular area of the retina. Each single RNF runs a long course starting from the cell body which is the retinal ganglion cell in the retina and ends in the thalamus of the brain where it relays visual information to other nerve cell in the thalamus. Along this long course RNFs are in close anatomical relationship with the pituitary gland crossing just above this gland about midway along their course. Hence enlargement of this gland can interfere with the RNFs.

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Key information

Conditions

Pituitary Mass Diagnoses Disease

Age range

15 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Dr. S.S. Michel Clinic

Edmonton, Alberta, T5R5W9, Canada

About this study

The inferior chiasmal syndrome is known to be caused by pituitary gland enlightenment because the pituitary gland lies just below the optic chiasma. The visual RNFs are organized in a very specific way along their long course from the retina to the Lateral Geniculate Body (LGB) in the thalamus. Pituitary enlargement would compromise particular RNFs. It is well known and established that pituitary enlargement, if not properly treated in time, would possibly cause bitemporal hemianopia due to interference with the crossing RNFs of the nasal half of each retina. In this study pituitary enlargement was suspected by OCT findings while the patient still had perfect peripheral visual field in each eye.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

healthy patients with frequent or persistent headache of unknown reasons.

Exclusion criteria

patients who were previously diagnosed with or treated from pituitary enlargement

Treatment and study plan

Optical coherence tomography (OCT)

Diagnostic Test

OCT is used to measure thickness (numbers) of retinal nerve fibres in different areas of the retina

Primary outcomes

Thinning of the retinal nerve fibers (RNF) that are nearest to the pituitary gland, measured in micro-millimeters in OCT, were the first indication of possible enlargement of this gland.

Time frame: through study completion, an average of one year.

Pituitary gland enlargement if not treated in time can have devastating effects on vision. Early diagnosis and treatment of this problem can not be over stressed. This study describes thinning of particular RNF in each eye that led to the suspicion of pituitary enlargement and was an early sign of the inferior chiasmal syndrome. Imaging studies were used to validate the suspected result.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Dr. S.S. Michel Clinic

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Pituitary Gland Enlargement Was First Diagnosed by OCT Before There Were Any Changes at All in the Computerized and Automated Eighty Degrees Peripheral Visual Fields

Acronym: OCT

Important dates

Study start: 2013
Primary completion: 2014
Study completion: 2016
First posted: Mar 22, 2017
Registry last updated: Mar 22, 2017

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

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