Objective To explore the application value of preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of different textures of pituitary tumors. Methods The clinical cases and MRI findings of 98 patients with pituitary tumors who underwent surgical treatment in our hospital from January 2012 to June 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were given cranial MRI scans before surgery, and they were divided into soft group (n=66) and firm group (n=32) according to the textures of pituitary tumors seen during operation. The collagen content in the tumor was detected by Sirius-Red staining. Results There was no significant difference in gender, tumor size, function type and growth patterns between the two groups (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in signal intensity ratio of T1WI tumor and white matter (P>0.05), and the signal intensity ratio of T2WI tumor and white matter in soft group was significantly higher than that in firm group [ (2.13±0.58)% vs (1.38±0.42)%] (t=6.525, P<0.05). The collagen content in soft group was significantly lower than that in firm group [(8.72±2.48)% vs (28.39±12.72)%] (t=12.158, P<0.05). The signal intensity ratio of T2WI tumor and white matter was negatively correlated with collagen content. (r=-0.785, P<0.05). Conclusion Collagen deposition is a significant pathological feature of pituitary tumor toughening. The signal intensity ratio of T2WI tumor and white matter can be used as the main reference index for preoperative evaluation of textures of pituitary tumors so as to guide the choice of surgical approach.