Clinico-radiological correlation of pituitary stalk interruption syndrome in children with growth hormone deficiency.
Pituitary
PURPOSE:To analyze the clinical, hormonal, and radiological characteristics of Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) in children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). METHODS:This is a prospective cross-sectional study, conducted over a period of three years in a short stature clinic of tertiary care referral hospital. 57 severe short stature children with proven GHD were included in the study. RESULTS:Among 57 children with GHD, 14 (24%) were diagnosed as PSIS. The mean age at diagnosis was 11.8 ± 2.6years. The male to female ratio was 2.5:1. Nine (64%) children had multiple pituitary hormone deficiency (MPHD) and 5 (36%) had isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD). In spite of absent or ectopic posterior pituitary (EPP)in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of PSIS cohorts, only one had Arginine vasopressin (AVP) deficiency. EPP was seen near median eminence in 6 (44%), elsewhere in 4 (28%), and absent in 4 (28%)children. The height gain following growth hormone therapy was better in PSIS cohorts as compared to non-PSIS. CONCLUSION:Male gender, breech presentation, external congenital anomalies like cryptorchidism, midline defects and nystagmus were more common in children with PSIS. MPHD were more frequently seen in PSIS whereas IGHD in non-PSIS cohort. AVP deficiency is very rare in PSIS despite of absent or ectopic posterior pituitary in MRI. High index of clinical suspicion in all severe short stature may lead to early diagnosis and prompt initiation of growth hormone treatment for better outcome.
10.1007/s11102-023-01351-2
Pituitary volume in children with growth hormone deficiency, idiopathic short stature and controls.
Kessler Marion,Tenner Michael,Frey Michael,Noto Richard
Journal of pediatric endocrinology & metabolism : JPEM
BACKGROUND:The objective of the study was to describe the pituitary volume (PV) in pediatric patients with isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD), idiopathic short stature (ISS) and normal controls. METHODS:Sixty-nine patients (57 male, 12 female), with a mean age of 11.9 (±2.0), were determined to have IGHD. ISS was identified in 29 patients (20 male, 9 female), with a mean age of 12.7 (±3.7). Sixty-six controls (28 female, 38 male), mean age 9.8 (±4.7) were also included. Three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance images with contrast were obtained to accurately measure PV. RESULTS:There was a significant difference in the mean PV among the three groups. The IGHD patients had a mean PV 230.8 (±89.6), for ISS patients it was 286.8 (±108.2) and for controls it was 343.7 (±145.9) (p<0.001). There was a normal increase in PV with age in the ISS patients and controls, but a minimal increase in the IGHD patients. CONCLUSIONS:Those patients with isolated GHD have the greatest reduction in PV compared to controls and the patients with ISS fall in between. We speculate that a possible cause for the slowed growth in some ISS patients might be related to diminished chronic secretion of growth hormone over time, albeit having adequate pituitary reserves to respond acutely to GH stimulation. Thus, what was called neurosecretory GHD in the past, might, in some patients, be relative pituitary hypoplasia and resultant diminished growth hormone secretion. Thus, PV determinations by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could assist in the diagnostic evaluation of the slowly growing child.
10.1515/jpem-2015-0404
Pituitary gland size is a useful marker in diagnosing isolated growth hormone deficiency in short children.
Deeb Asma,Attia Salima,Elhag Ghada,El Fatih AbuBaker,Reddy Jaqan,Nagelkerke Nico
Journal of pediatric endocrinology & metabolism : JPEM
INTRODUCTION:Diagnosis of isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) can be challenging. As short stature is common in children, confirmed diagnosis is necessary prior to commencing treatment. Pituitary hypoplasia can be seen in children with IGHD. However, confirmatory studies are lacking. AIM:To test the application of pituitary size as a marker for IGHD in a population-matched control. PATIENT AND METHOD:Subjects with IGHD were enrolled. Patients had brain magnetic resonance imaging, and the height and width of the pituitary were measured. Pituitary volume was calculated as (height × width)3/2. A control group was recruited. RESULTS:Sixty patients and 130 controls were enrolled. The median and age range for the patients and controls were 11 and 3-16 years and 9 and 3-17 years, respectively. Cases had a significantly lower dimensions compared to controls (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION:Pituitary volume can be a useful marker to compliment the diagnosis of IGHD in selected patients when population-relevant normative control data are used.
10.1515/jpem-2014-0209
Long-Term Changes in the Size of Pituitary Microadenomas.
Annals of internal medicine
BACKGROUND:The estimated prevalence of pituitary lesions is 10% to 38.5% in radiologic studies. However, how frequently these incidental lesions should be monitored by serial pituitary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate changes in pituitary microadenomas over time. DESIGN:Retrospective, longitudinal cohort study. SETTING:Mass General Brigham, Boston, Massachusetts. PATIENTS:Evidence of pituitary microadenoma from MRI. MEASUREMENTS:Dimensions of pituitary microadenomas. RESULTS:During the study period (from 2003 to 2021), 414 patients with pituitary microadenomas were identified. Of the 177 patients who had more than 1 MRI, 78 had no change in the size of the microadenoma over time, 49 had an increase in size, 34 had a decrease in size, and 16 had both an increase and decrease in size. By linear mixed model analysis, the estimated slope was 0.016 mm/y (95% CI, -0.037 to 0.069). In the subgroup analysis, pituitary adenomas with a baseline size of 4 mm or less tended to increase in size. The estimated slope was 0.09 mm/y (CI, 0.020 to 0.161). In contrast, in the subgroup with baseline tumor size greater than 4 mm, the size tended to decrease. The estimated slope was -0.063 mm/y (CI, -0.141 to 0.015). LIMITATION:Retrospective cohort, some patients were lost to follow-up for unknown reasons, and data were limited to local large institutions. CONCLUSION:During the study period, approximately two thirds of the microadenomas remained unchanged or decreased in size. The growth, if any, was slow. These findings suggest that less frequent pituitary MRI surveillance for patients with incidental pituitary microadenomas may be safe. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE:None.
10.7326/M22-1728
Diagnosis and Management of pituitary disease with focus on the role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Mahajan Amit,Bronen Richard A,Mian Ali Y,Omay Sacit Bulent,Spencer Dennis D,Inzucchi Silvio E
Endocrine
Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is an essential tool in the diagnosis and management of pituitary diseases, indispensable for making correct treatment decisions. Successful management and follow-up of pituitary pathology requires an understanding of the MR appearance of normal and abnormal structures in the sellar region. This review will describe the MR appearance of the normal and abnormal pituitary gland and proposes an algorithm for the management strategy of some of the most common abnormalities in or around the sella.
10.1007/s12020-020-02242-3
Advances in Imaging of the Pediatric Pituitary Gland.
Bou-Ayache Jad M,Delman Bradley N
Endocrinology and metabolism clinics of North America
High-resolution MRI of the pediatric sella can help identity or confirm clinical abnormalities, assess pituitary gland size and structure, and reveal acquired lesions. This article reviews contemporary techniques for imaging of the sella and associated structures in this population. Strengths and weaknesses of conventional imaging are discussed, as are techniques that can enhance yield. Some new and emerging technologies are discussed, including MR elastography, perfusion imaging, spectroscopy, and diffusion-weighted and diffusion-tensor imaging. It is expected that this overview will provide insight as to where pediatric sella imaging is currently and where it may head in the future.
10.1016/j.ecl.2016.02.004
Pituitary volume in psychosis.
Pariante Carmine M,Vassilopoulou Konstantina,Velakoulis Dennis,Phillips Lisa,Soulsby Bridget,Wood Stephen J,Brewer Warrick,Smith Deidre J,Dazzan Paola,Yung Alison R,Zervas Ioannis M,Christodoulou George N,Murray Robin,McGorry Patrick D,Pantelis Christos
The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science
BACKGROUND:Patients with psychosis have activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during the acute phase of the psychosis. Whether this has any morphological consequences for the pituitary gland is currently unknown. AIMS:To examine pituitary volume variation in people at different stages of psychotic disorder. METHOD:Pituitary volume was measured using 1.5 mm, coronal magnetic resonance images in 24 people with first-episode psychosis, 51 with established schizophrenia and 59 healthy controls. RESULTS:Compared with the control group, the people with first-episode psychosis had pituitary volumes that were 10% larger, whereas those with established schizophrenia had pituitary volumes that were 17% smaller. In both of the groups with psychosis, there was no difference in pituitary volume between those receiving typical antipsychotic drugs and those receiving atypical antipsychotics. CONCLUSIONS:The first episode of a psychosis is associated with a larger pituitary volume, which we suggest is due to activation of the HPA axis. The smaller pituitary volume in the group with established schizophrenia could be the consequence of repeated episodes of HPA axis hyperactivity.
10.1192/bjp.185.1.5
MRI for the determination of pituitary iron overload in children and young adults with beta-thalassaemia major.
Christoforidis Athanasios,Haritandi Afroditi,Perifanis Vassilios,Tsatra Ioanna,Athanassiou-Metaxa Miranda,Dimitriadis Athanasios S
European journal of radiology
Hypogonadism, resulting from iron-induced pituitary dysfunction, is the most frequently reported complication in patients with beta-thalassaemia major. The aim of this study was to evaluate pituitary Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) signal intensity reduction, on T2*-weighted images, as a marker of pituitary iron overload. Thirty patients (13 females and 17 males, mean age: 16.6+/-4.1) with beta-thalassaemia major on conventional treatment and 13 healthy volunteers (7 females and 6 males, mean age: 11+/-4.51 years) were studied with T2*-weighted images of the anterior pituitary using a 1.5T unit. Four thalassaemic patients (2 females and 2 males) had clinical hypogonadism and required hormonal replacement treatment. Results revealed a statistically significant reduction of pituitary signal intensity in the thalassaemia group compared to controls (p<0.001). Moreover, hypogonadal patients had significantly decreased MRI values compared to thalassaemic patients without hypogonadism (p=0.017). Relatively decreased adeno-hypophyseal MRI signal intensity was recorded in pubertal thalassaemic patients. A significant negative correlation was observed between pituitary MRI values and age (r=-0.67, r(2)=0.443, p=0.001), whereas ferritin levels and pituitary MRI values were moderately correlated (r=-0.56, r(2)=0.32, p=0.08) in adult thalassaemic patients. In conclusion, pituitary MRI indices as measured on T2*-weighted images seem to reflect pituitary iron overload and could, therefore, be used for a preclinical detection of patients who are in greater danger of developing hypogonadism.
10.1016/j.ejrad.2006.11.016
Role of MRI T2-DRIVE in the assessment of pituitary stalk abnormalities without gadolinium in pituitary diseases.
Godano Elisabetta,Morana Giovanni,Di Iorgi Natascia,Pistorio Angela,Allegri Anna Elsa Maria,Napoli Flavia,Gastaldi Roberto,Calcagno Annalisa,Patti Giuseppa,Gallizia Annalisa,Notarnicola Sara,Giaccardi Marta,Noli Serena,Severino Mariasavina,Tortora Domenico,Rossi Andrea,Maghnie Mohamad
European journal of endocrinology
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the role of T2-DRIVE MRI sequence in the accurate measurement of pituitary stalk (PS) size and the identification of PS abnormalities in patients with hypothalamic-pituitary disorders without the use of gadolinium. DESIGN:This was a retrospective study conducted on 242 patients who underwent MRI due to pituitary dysfunction between 2006 and 2015. Among 135 eligible patients, 102 showed eutopic posterior pituitary (PP) gland and 33 showed 'ectopic' PP (EPP). METHODS:Two readers independently measured the size of PS in patients with eutopic PP at the proximal, midpoint and distal levels on pre- and post-contrast T1-weighted as well as T2-DRIVE images; PS visibility was assessed on pre-contrast T1 and T2-DRIVE sequences in those with EPP. The length, height, width and volume of the anterior pituitary (AP), PP height and length and PP area were analyzed. RESULTS:Significant agreement between the two readers was obtained for T2-DRIVE PS measurements in patients with 'eutopic' PP; a significant difference was demonstrated between the intraclass correlation coefficient calculated on the T2-DRIVE and the T1-pre- and post-contrast sequences. The percentage of PS identified by T2-DRIVE in EPP patients was 72.7% compared to 30.3% of T1 pre-contrast sequences. A significant association was found between the visibility of PS on T2-DRIVE and the height of AP. CONCLUSION:T2-DRIVE sequence is extremely precise and reliable for the evaluation of PS size and the recognition of PS abnormalities; the use of gadolinium-based contrast media does not add significant information and may thus be avoided.
10.1530/EJE-18-0094
MRI-based evaluation of the factors leading to pituitary iron overload in patients with thalassemia major.
Çetinçakmak Mehmet Güli,Hattapoğlu Salih,Menzilcioğlu Sait,Alan Bircan,Uluca Ünal,Uçar Ahmet,Söker Murat,Bilici Aslan
Journal of neuroradiology. Journal de neuroradiologie
AIM:Given the lack of studies evaluating pituitary iron overload in patients with thalassemia major, we used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate these patients and the factors affecting the disease process. MATERIALS AND METHODS:The 84 patients with β-thalassemia major who were included in this study were referred to our clinic for cardiac and hepatic T2(*) MRI. T2(*)-weighted images of the pituitary gland, heart, and liver were obtained using a 1.5-tesla MRI unit and a multi-echo gradient-echo sequence. Associations between pituitary T2(*), cardiac T2(*), hepatic T2(*), pituitary height, serum ferritin (SF) level, patient age, and other demographic findings were assessed. RESULTS:Pituitary T2(*) values correlated with hepatic T2(*) values, cardiac T2(*) values, SF level, and patient age (P≤0.001, 0.001, 0.001, 0.01, respectively) but not with pituitary height (P=0.76). Pituitary and cardiac T2(*) values were lower in the subset of patients who underwent splenectomy (P=0.046 and P=0.002, respectively). CONCLUSION:Pituitary iron overload rapidly increases during puberty and in this study correlated with cardiac and hepatic T2(*) values, patient age, SF level, and liver size, but not with the height of the pituitary. Pituitary iron overload also increases following splenectomy. Together, these findings indicate that numerous factors contribute to pituitary iron overload.
10.1016/j.neurad.2016.03.001
Noncontrast MRI Protocol for Selected Pediatric Pituitary Endocrinopathies: A Procedure with High Diagnostic Yield and Potential to Reduce Anesthesia and Gadolinium-Based Contrast Exposure.
AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Although many pediatric neuroradiology practices empirically use noncontrast brain and pituitary MR imaging for evaluation of growth hormone deficiency, central precocious puberty, and short stature, there are currently insufficient published data to support this practice in an evidence-based fashion. Therefore, the use of contrast-enhanced MR imaging for all pediatric pituitary endocrinopathies remains widespread. We evaluated whether noncontrast MR imaging has adequate diagnostic yield for the evaluation of pediatric growth hormone deficiency, central precocious puberty, and short stature. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Pituitary MR imaging studies obtained for growth hormone deficiency, central precocious puberty, or short stature in patients 0-18 years of age from 2010 to 2019 were analyzed. Separate blinded review of noncontrast images in cases with abnormalities on the original radiology report was performed by 2 subspecialty-trained pediatric neuroradiologists, with discrepancies resolved by consensus. RESULTS:Of the 134/442 MR imaging studies obtained for growth hormone deficiency, central precocious puberty, or short stature with hypothalamic-pituitary region abnormalities, there was 70% concordance with the original reports on blinded review of noncontrast images. Twenty-two of 40 discrepancies were deemed unrelated to the indication, and 9 cases originally interpreted as possible microadenoma were read as having normal findings on blinded review. Only 9 of 40 discrepancies required contrast for further characterization. CONCLUSIONS:In our study, most relevant radiologic findings in patients with growth hormone deficiency, central precocious puberty, and short stature were detectable without contrast, providing evidence that contrast can be avoided in routine MR imaging evaluation of these indications. We propose a "rapid noncontrast pituitary" MR imaging protocol for pediatric patients presenting with growth hormone deficiency, central precocious puberty, or short stature, which may increase efficiency and decrease contrast and anesthesia exposure.
10.3174/ajnr.A7228
Magnetic resonance imaging of the hypothalamo-pituitary region.
Perosevic Milica,Jones Pamela S,Tritos Nicholas A
Handbook of clinical neurology
The diagnosis and management of mass lesions in the sellar and parasellar areas remain challenging. When approaching patients with possible sellar or hypothalamic masses, it is important not only to focus on imaging but also detect possible pituitary hormone deficits or excess, in order to establish an appropriate diagnosis and initiate treatment. The imaging modalities used to characterize hypothalamic and pituitary lesions have significantly evolved over the course of the past several years. Computed tomography (CT) and CT angiography play a major role in detecting various sellar lesions, especially in patients who have contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and can also yield important information for surgical planning. However, MRI has become the gold standard for the detection and characterization of hypothalamic and pituitary tumors, infections, cystic, or vascular lesions. Indeed, the imaging characteristics of hypothalamic and sellar lesions can help narrow down the differential diagnosis preoperatively. In addition, MRI can help establish the relationship of mass lesions to surrounding structures. A pituitary MRI examination should be obtained if there is concern for mass effect (including visual loss, ophthalmoplegia, headache) or if there is clinical suspicion and laboratory evidence of either hypopituitarism or pituitary hormone excess. The information obtained from MRI images also provides us with assistance in planning surgery. Using intraoperative MRI can be very helpful in assessing the adequacy of tumor resection. In addition, MRI images yield reliable data that allow for noninvasive monitoring of patients postoperatively.
10.1016/B978-0-12-819975-6.00004-2
deepPGSegNet: MRI-based pituitary gland segmentation using deep learning.
Frontiers in endocrinology
Introduction:In clinical research on pituitary disorders, pituitary gland (PG) segmentation plays a pivotal role, which impacts the diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as endocrine dysfunctions and visual impairments. Manual segmentation, which is the traditional method, is tedious and susceptible to inter-observer differences. Thus, this study introduces an automated solution, utilizing deep learning, for PG segmentation from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods:A total of 153 university students were enrolled, and their MRI images were used to build a training dataset and ground truth data through manual segmentation of the PGs. A model was trained employing data augmentation and a three-dimensional U-Net architecture with a five-fold cross-validation. A predefined field of view was applied to highlight the PG region to optimize memory usage. The model's performance was tested on an independent dataset. The model's performance was tested on an independent dataset for evaluating accuracy, precision, recall, and an F1 score. Results and discussion:The model achieved a training accuracy, precision, recall, and an F1 score of 92.7%, 0.87, 0.91, and 0.89, respectively. Moreover, the study explored the relationship between PG morphology and age using the model. The results indicated a significant association between PG volume and midsagittal area with age. These findings suggest that a precise volumetric PG analysis through an automated segmentation can greatly enhance diagnostic accuracy and surveillance of pituitary disorders.
10.3389/fendo.2024.1338743
[Neuroimaging of Pituitary Neuroendocrine Tumors].
No shinkei geka. Neurological surgery
Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)is the preferred imaging technique for sellar and parasellar regions. In this study, we report our clinical experience with MRI for pituitary neuroendocrine tumors(PitNETs)with reference to histopathological findings through a review of the literature. Our previous study indicated that the three dimensional-spoiled gradient echo(3D-SPGR)sequence is suitable for evaluating sellar lesions on a postcontrast T1 weighted image(T1WI). This image demonstrates a defined relationship between the tumor and its surroundings, such as the normal pituitary gland, cavernous sinus, and optic pathway. This 3D-SPGR sequence is also suitable for detecting microtumors in corticotroph PitNETs. In somatotroph PitNETs, the signal intensity on T2WI is important to differentiate densely granulated tumors from sparsely granulated somatotroph tumors. In lactotroph PitNETs, distinct hypointense areas in the early phase on T2WI, possibly due to diffuse hemorrhage, indicate pronounced regression of invasive macroprolactinomas during cabergoline therapy.
10.11477/mf.1436204796
Pituitary hypoplasia is the best MRI predictor of the severity and type of growth hormone deficiency in children with congenital growth hormone deficiency.
Sharma Himanshu,Purwar Naincy,Kumar Anshul,Sahlot Rahul,Garg Umesh,Sharma Balram,Mathur Sandeep Kumar
Journal of pediatric endocrinology & metabolism : JPEM
OBJECTIVES:Congenital idiopathic growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is associated with various MRI abnormalities, including sellar and extrasellar abnormalities. However, it remains contentious whether MRI brain findings could provide an additional avenue for precisely predicting the differentiation of GHD based on severity and type {isolated GHD or multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies (MPHD)}. This study aimed to ascertain the abnormality that is the best predictor of severity and type of GHD amongst the different MRI findings. METHODS:We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study, including 100 subjects diagnosed with idiopathic GHD. Patients were grouped into severe GHD, partial GHD, and MPHD and into groups based on the presence of pituitary hypoplasia, extrasellar brain abnormalities (EBA), and presence of ectopic posterior pituitary or pituitary stalk abnormalities (EPP/PSA) or both. RESULTS:Sixty six percentage of subjects had isolated GHD, 34% had MPHD, 71% had severe GHD, and 29% had partial GHD. Pituitary hypoplasia was the most common finding, observed in 53% of patients, while 23% had EBA, and 25% had EPP/PSA. Pituitary hypoplasia was observed to be the best predictor of severity of GHD with an odds ratio (OR) of 10.8, followed by EPP/PSA (OR=2.8), and EBA was the weakest predictor (OR=1.8). Pituitary hypoplasia was the only finding to predict MPHD (OR=9.2) significantly. On ROC analysis, a Pituitary height SDS of -2.03 had the best detection threshold for both severe GHD and MPHD. CONCLUSIONS:We observed Pituitary hypoplasia to be not only the most frequent MRI abnormality but also the best predictor of severe GHD and MPHD amongst various sellar and extrasellar abnormalities.
10.1515/jpem-2021-0049
Pituitary gland in Bipolar Disorder and Major Depression: Evidence from structural MRI studies: Special Section on "Translational and Neuroscience Studies in Affective Disorders". Section Editor, Maria Nobile MD, PhD. This Section of JAD focuses on the relevance of translational and neuroscience studies in providing a better understanding of the neural basis of affective disorders. The main aim is to briefly summarise relevant research findings in clinical neuroscience with particular regards to specific innovative topics in mood and anxiety disorders.
Delvecchio G,Altamura A C,Soares J C,Brambilla P
Journal of affective disorders
BACKGROUND:The function of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) has been widely investigated in mood disorders based on its role in regulating stress response. Particularly, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) reports have explored pituitary gland (PG) in both bipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). In this context, the present review summarizes the results from MRI studies with the final aim of commenting on the presence of common or distinct PG structural alterations between these two disabling illnesses. METHODS:A bibliographic search on PUBMED of all MRI studies exploring PG volumes in BD and MDD as well as first-degree relatives (RELs) from 2000 up to October 2016 was performed. RESULTS:Following the screening process of the available literature it can be said that a) PG enlargement has been found in both BD and MDD, therefore potentially representing a common neurobiological marker characterizing mood disorders, and b) PG volumes are moderated by age and sex in both illnesses, although the direction and the extent of this moderation are still not fully clear. LIMITATIONS:Few MRI studies with heterogeneous results. CONCLUSIONS:These hypotheses must be taken with caution especially because the heterogeneity of the results of the studies reviewed does not allow for a definite answer about the role of PG in affective disorders. Therefore, larger longitudinal studies investigating PG volumes in BD and MDD patients at the early phases of the illness, by considering females and males separately, are needed to further corroborate these findings.
10.1016/j.jad.2017.03.066
MRI Findings of Pituitary Gland in Growth Hormone-Deficient Children and Their Correlation with Growth Hormone Peak during Growth Hormone Stimulation Tests.
Contrast media & molecular imaging
This study aims to explore the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of the pituitary gland (PG) in children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) and their correlation with the growth hormone (GH) peak during clinical GH stimulation tests. Sixty-one children with GHD diagnosed and treated between December 2018 and December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed in terms of clinical and pituitary morphological MRI data. MRI measurements of various diameters of the adenohypophysis (AH) were obtained to analyze the differences of the measured values in different genders and age groups, as well as their relationship with the GH peak in GH stimulation tests. Among the 61 children with GHD, the superior PG margin was protuberant in 2 cases, flat in 13 cases, and concave in 46 cases. The three age groups showed similar pituitary morphology and stalk ( > 0.05). On T1-weighted images, the proportion of isointensity was lower while the proportion of slightly-low signal intensity was higher in the anterior pituitary gland (APG) of children aged >10 compared with those aged 7-10. The comparison of AH linear parameters and GH peak values of male patients among different age groups showed that the anteroposterior (sagittal) diameter of AH and GH peak were the highest in the >10-year-old group and the lowest in the ≤6-year-old group, with those of the 7-10-year-old group in between ( < 0.05). In females, the anteroposterior (sagittal) diameter and GH peak were higher in the 7-10-year-old group and >10-year-old group compared with the ≤6-year-old group ( < 0.05). The MRI coronal and sagittal heights of PG in children with GHD were positively correlated with the GH peak value. In conclusion, in GHD patients, the coronal and sagittal heights as well as the coronal width of AH do not change with sex or age, but the coronal and sagittal heights of PG are positively correlated with the GH peak of GH stimulation tests, which has high application value in the diagnosis of children with GHD.
10.1155/2022/3111585