Growth hormone deficiency MRI

Brain MRI may be helpful in the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency. On T1-weighted imaging, a clear demarcation can be made between the adenohypophysis and the neurohypophysis, which appears as hyperintense. Other pituitary abnormalities such as anterior pituitary hypoplasia, pituitary stalk agenesis, and posterior pituitary ectopia can be diagnosed using MRI.

• MRI is highly sensitive to visualize the hypothalamo-hypophyseal tract. After the clinical and biochemical diagnosis of GHD is made Findings on MRI include:^[1]
  • On T1-weighted imaging, a clear demarcation can be made between the adenohypophysis and the neurohypophysis, which appears as hyperintense.^[2]
  • This imaging is important to exclude the possibility of a pituitary tumor. It also permits diagnostic characterization by showing the presence or absence of morphological abnormalities such as anterior pituitary hypoplasia, pituitary stalk agenesis, and posterior pituitary ectopia.
  • Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) can be diagnosed using MRI aslo.^[3]