EVOLVING PITUITARY-HORMONE DEFICIENCY IS ASSOCIATED WITH PITUITARY VASCULOPATHY - DYNAMIC MR STUDY IN CHILDREN WITH HYPOPITUITARISM, DIABETES-INSIPIDUS, AND LANGERHANS CELL HISTIOCYTOSIS

PURPOSE: To assess pituitary vascularization in children with hypopitu itarism, central diabetes insipidus (DI), or Langerhans cell histiocyt osis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dynamic MR images were obtained through t he pituitary stalk after injection of gadopentetate dimeglumine in 21 patients (11 boys and 10 girls, aged 4-17 years) and 10 age-matched co ntrol subjects. RESULTS: Initial enhancement of the posterior pituitar y lobe occurred simultaneously with that of the straight sinus in all subjects except four patients with central DI and a thick stalk. Enhan cement of the entire anterior pituitary lobe was statistically signifi cantly prolonged (P < .005) in the four patients with delayed initial posterior pituitary lobe enhancement. CONCLUSION: Fast-framing dynamic MR imaging provides new information on the blood supply of the hypoth alamic pituitary area in normal and abnormal pituitary glands. Enhance ment times exceeding 20 seconds for the posterior pituitary lobe and 3 0 seconds for the anterior pituitary lobe may suggest abnormal vascula rization in the hypophyseal arteries and portal system.