Role of functional MRI in diagnosis of sellar and suprasellar lesions

MR spectroscopy and diffusion-weighted imaging are now considered as important non-invasive diagnostic tool for different sellar and suprasellar lesions. MR spectroscopy can provide valuable information, which in addition to structural MRI, can be effectively used for the purpose of the differential diagnosis.Although surgical biopsies are still the gold standard for tumour diagnosis, but MR spectroscopy and diffusion –weighted imaging can limit the possibilities. More studies should be conducted to have a better understanding of brain metabolism and pattern of metabolic alteration occuring in each pathology.MRS and diffusion-weighted imaging can be added to conventional MRI sequences to aid in differentiation of neoplastic and non-neoplastic pathology, estimation of the tumor type, grade and proliferative activity, prediction of the response to therapy and prognosis. Thus, they may alter surgical approaches or theraputic modalities of a lesion..