REVERSIBLE HYPERINTENSITY OF THE ANTERIOR-PITUITARY GLAND ON T1-WEIGHTED MR-IMAGES IN A PATIENT RECEIVING TEMPORARY PARENTERAL-NUTRITION

We report a patient with severe anorexia nervosa, treated with tempora ry total parenteral nutrition (TPN), in whom reversible hyperintensity of the anterior pituitary gland was seen on T1-weighted MR images. Th e anterior pituitary was isointense with white matter before TPN thera py and became markedly hyperintense after 3 months of treatment. The i ntensity normalized after TPN therapy was discontinued. The transient hyperintensity was also seen in the basal ganglia and dorsal brain see m. We believe the hyperintensity of the anterior pituitary may be attr ibuted to the TPN therapy.