PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - F. Gudinchet
AU  - F. Brunelle
AU  - M. O. Barth
AU  - V. Taviere
AU  - R. Brauner
AU  - R. Rappaport
AU  - D. Lallemand
TI  - MR Imaging of the Posterior Hypophysis in Children
DP  - 1989 May 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 511--514
VI  - 10
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/10/3/511.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/10/3/511.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.1989 May 01; 10
AB  - The posterior lobe of the pituitary gland was studied by MR imaging in 30 children without pituitary gland disease and compared with studies from a group of 13 children with central diabetes insipidus, including eight cases of primary diabetes insipidus and five cases of diabetes insipidus secondary to suprasellar tumors (four proved germinomas, one still unknown tumor). Two components in the sella turcica were identified in all 30 children without pituitary gland disease, and the posterior lobe was identified as a high-intensity structure on T1-weighted images. In all 13 patients with diabetes insipidus, the normal hyperintense signal of the posterior hypophysis was absent on T1-weighted images. Three patients with suprasellar tumors presented with a progressively enlarging pituitary stalk on follow-up. Our findings show that absence of the normal hyperintense signal of the posterior lobe is closely related to a loss of function of the neurohypophysis. Size or signal modification of the pituitary stalk should suggest the development of a suprasellar tumor.