Abstract: Objective To evaluate the application of airway anatomical indices in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to predict difficult airways in patients with growth hormone pituitary adenoma. Methods This is a retrospective analysis for patients with pituitary adenoma excision under general anesthesia at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, from December 2018 to December 2022. Patients with growth hormone pituitary adenoma (GH group, n=81) and patients with nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma (NF group, n=81) were included. Linear distance between upper lip and uvula (ULUD), tongue thickness on the plane of cervical vertebra 2/3 (TT_C2/3), linear distance of supraglottic airway cervical vertebra 2/3(SAD_C2/3) and linear distance between underlip and posterior pharyngeal wall (ULPD) were measured in the median sagittal plane of head MRI. The data in the two groups were compared. Results ULUD, TT_C2/3, and ULPD in the GH group were significantly longer than those in the NF group (P＜0.05). SAD_C2/3 was not significantly different (P＞0.05). GH was confirmed to be correlated with TT_C2/3 and ULPD. Conclusions ULUD, TT_C2/3, ULPD found by head MRI and GH can be used as predictors of difficult airway in patients with growth hormone pituitary adenoma.

Key words: growth hormone, pituitary adenoma, magnetic resonance imaging, airway anatomical indices