目的 ·用高分辨率磁共振成像（MRI）观察正常成人脑垂体的变化规律。方法 ·对245例健康成年受试者采用3.0T MRI扫描，检测垂体横径、矢径、高度和体积，观察垂体的形态。结果 ·垂体平均高度男性为（5.47±1.33）mm，女性为（6.06±1.32）mm；垂体平均体积男性为（614.07±125.52）mm3，女性为（660.00±117.35）mm3。不同性别之间差异均有统计学意义（均P<0.01）。垂体高度与垂体体积之间呈正相关（r =0.829，P<0.01）。除垂体矢径外，不同年龄段受试者的垂体横径、高度和体积之间差异均有统计学意义（均P<0.05），且均与年龄呈负相关（均P<0.01）。结论 ·正常成人垂体高度和体积均在18～29岁最大，此后随年龄增大而减小,但女性在50～59岁垂体高度和体积会再次增大；女性垂体平均高度和体积均显著大于男性。

Objective · To study changes of morphological characteristics of pituitary glands in normal adults by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods · A total of 245 healthy adults were scanned by 3.0T MRI to measure widths，lengths，heights and volumes of pituitary glands and observe pituitary gland morphology. Results · The average height of pituitary was (5.47±1.33) mm in males and (6.06±1.32) mm in females; the average volume of pituitary was (614.07±125.52) mm3 in males and (660.00±117.35) mm3 in females. The difference between the genders was statistically significant (P<0.01). The pituitary height was positively related to the pituitary volume (r=0.829，P<0.01). Except the pituitary lengths, there was statistically significance in the pituitary widths, heights and volumes among different age groups (P<0.05), and all of them were negatively correlated with age (P<0.01). Conclusion · The pituitary heights and volumes peak in the 18-29 age group in adults and tend to decline with increased age. In female subjects, however, there is a tendency of pituitary heights and volumes to increase again in the 50-59 age group. The average height and volume of female pituitary glands are significantly greater than those of males.