Plain Radiography of the Skull in the Diagnosis of Intracranial Tumours

1. An analysis has been made of the plain radiographic findings in 200 verified cases of intracranial tumour. 2. Sellar changes were found in two groups of lesions: tumours in or near sella, and tumours at a distance from it (metasellar lesions). Of all the abnormal sellar appearances, only two were considered to be of localising value: uniform expansion with little or no thinning of dorsum, and suprasellar calcification. The commonest changes were thinning or erosion of dorsum, and these were common to both groups of lesions. 3. In metasellar lesions showing sellar changes, the degree of sellar destruction and the degree of hydrocephalus are roughly proportionate to one another, but the hydrocephalus in itself is not the cause of the bone destruction. In some of these cases, however, the dilated anterior end of third ventricle comes into close contact with sella, and it is suggested that this may be at least a contributory cause of the sellar changes. 4. Signs of increased intracranial tension, comprisin...