Pituitary stalk lesions.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the diverse causes of pituitary stalk lesions, their diagnosis, and treatment.


RESULTS
Pathology of the pituitary stalk is often distinct from disease processes that affect the hypothalamus and/or pituitary. Pituitary stalk lesions fall into one of three categories: congenital, inflammatory/infectious, and neoplastic lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
Stalk thickening may be found incidentally or when evaluating pituitary functional abnormalities. The precise cause must be looked for to enable the proper form of therapy of the underlying process. Hormone replacement is often also necessary.
Rupp
Demetra
D
Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Molitch
Mark
M
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D018237:Germinoma / Q000473:pathology; D006646:Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000473:pathology