Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome: the role of MRI and review of the literature

Abstract

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with congenital growth hormone deficiency (GHD) has revealed several morphological abnormalities of the hypothalamo-pituitary region which include hypoplasia of the anterior pituitary lobe, the absence or marked thinning of the pituitary stalk and ectopia of the posterior pituitary lobe (EPP). This triad of abnormalities is called pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS). Our study reports the imaging findings of 23 patients with idiopathic GHD and short stature who were examined by MRI. The majority of the patients had abnormal MR studies with findings indicating the presence of the pituitary stalk syndrome. The high correlation between the clinical profile and the MR findings in cases of pituitary dysfunction (most often GHD), defines the significant role of MRI as additional tool for the diagnosis of pituitary hormone deficiency.