title: High-resolution heavily T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for evaluation of the pituitary stalk in children with ectopic neurohypophysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In anterior pituitary deficiency, patients with non visible pituitary stalk have more often multiple deficiencies and persistent deficiency than patients with visible pituitary stalk.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the diagnostic value of a high-resolution heavily T2-weighted sequence to 1.5-mm-thick unenhanced and contrast-enhanced sagittal T1-weighted sequences to assess the presence of the pituitary stalk in children with ectopic posterior pituitary gland.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively evaluated the MRI data of 14 children diagnosed with ectopic posterior pituitary gland between 2010 and 2014. We evaluated the presence of a pituitary stalk using a sagittal high-resolution heavily T2-weighted sequence and a 1.5-mm sagittal T1-weighted turbo spin-echo sequence before and after contrast medium administration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A pituitary stalk was present on at least one of the sequences in 10 of the 14 children (71%). T2-weighted sequence depicted the pituitary stalk in all 10 children, whereas the 1.5-mm-thick T1-weighted sequence depicted 2/10 (20%) before contrast injection and 8/10 (80%) after contrast injection (P=0.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compared with 1.5-mm-thick contrast-enhanced T1-weighted sequences, high-resolution heavily T2-weighted sequence demonstrates better sensitivity in detecting the pituitary stalk in children with ectopic posterior pituitary gland, suggesting that contrast injection is unnecessary to assess the presence of a pituitary stalk in this setting.
authors.affiliation: Service de Radiologie Pédiatrique, Hôpital Robert Debré, APHP, 48 boulevard Sérurier, 75019, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Imane
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: El Sanharawi
authors.affiliation: Service de Radiologie Pédiatrique, Hôpital Robert Debré, APHP, 48 boulevard Sérurier, 75019, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Loukia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tzarouchi
authors.affiliation: Service de Radiologie Pédiatrique, Hôpital Robert Debré, APHP, 48 boulevard Sérurier, 75019, Paris, France.|Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Liesbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cardoen
authors.affiliation: Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France.|Inserm U1141, DHU PROTECT, Paris, France.|Service d'Endocrinologie Pédiatrique, Hôpital Robert Debré, APHP, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Laetitia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Martinerie
authors.affiliation: Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France.|Inserm U1141, DHU PROTECT, Paris, France.|Service d'Endocrinologie Pédiatrique, Hôpital Robert Debré, APHP, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leger
authors.affiliation: Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France.|Inserm U1141, DHU PROTECT, Paris, France.|Service d'Endocrinologie Pédiatrique, Hôpital Robert Debré, APHP, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Carel
authors.affiliation: Service de Radiologie Pédiatrique, Hôpital Robert Debré, APHP, 48 boulevard Sérurier, 75019, Paris, France.|Inserm U1141, DHU PROTECT, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elmaleh-Berges
authors.affiliation: Service de Radiologie Pédiatrique, Hôpital Robert Debré, APHP, 48 boulevard Sérurier, 75019, Paris, France. marianne.alison@aphp.fr.|Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France. marianne.alison@aphp.fr.|Inserm U1141, DHU PROTECT, Paris, France. marianne.alison@aphp.fr.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alison
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008536:Meglumine; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010900:Pituitary Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010904:Pituitary Gland, Posterior / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D008536:Meglumine; C072417:gadoterate meglumine
keywords: Child; Contrast agent; Ectopic neurohypophysis; Magnetic resonance imaging; Pituitary stalk