Transient Hyperintensity of the Infant Thyroid Gland on T1-Weighted MR Imaging: Correlation with Postnatal Age, Gestational Age, and Signal Intensity of the Pituitary Gland

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The signal intensity of the thyroid in neonates is high on T1WI. It is affected by gestational and postnatal ages. However, the extent of the influence of these ages is unknown. This study investigated the relationship of signal intensities of the infant thyroid with postnatal and gestational ages and anterior pituitary using 3D gradient-echo T1WI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 183 T1-weighted images from 181 infants. Using a multiple linear regression analysis, we evaluated the effects of postnatal and gestational ages on the thyroid–muscle signal intensity ratio. The relationship between the thyroid and anterior pituitary signal intensities on T1WI and the age of the infants was evaluated.

RESULTS: Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the thyroid signal intensity was affected negatively by postnatal age at examination and positively by gestational age at birth (P < .01 and P = .04, respectively). According to the standardized partial regression coefficients, the influence of postnatal age at examination was stronger than that of gestational age at birth (−0.72 and 0.13, respectively). The thyroid and anterior pituitary signal intensities reached constant values at 12 weeks’ postnatal age, and the mean thyroid–anterior pituitary signal intensity ratios were almost 1 throughout the entire period.

CONCLUSIONS: The signal intensity of the infant thyroid on T1WI was more strongly influenced by the postnatal age at examination than the gestational age at birth, and it was almost equal to that of the anterior pituitary.