Microsurgical anatomy of membranous layers of the pituitary gland and the expression of extracellular matrix collagenous proteins

Abstract

There are several reports about the microanatomical and histological features of sellar and parasellar membranous structures and clinical studies about MMP proteinase as a predictive factor. However, studies on collagen contents of sellar and parasellar membranous structures are limited. We demonstrated the membranous structures surrounding the pituitary gland and defined extracellular matrix (ECM) collagenous proteins, collagen I-IV expression patterns of sellar and parasellar connective tissues.