Etiology of Thickened Pituitary Stalks

Visit our website at: http://pituitary.mgh.harvard.edu On magnetic resonance imaging, some patients with clinical neuroendocrine disorders have thickened pituitary stalks, the anatomical structure which connects the hypothalamus to the pituitary (Figure 1). These disorders can be classified as neoplastic, inflammatory, or infectious in origin, although there are rare forms of congenital malformations that may give a similar clinical and imaging presentation. Here we will briefly review the diagnostic aspects of the common causes of suprasellar masses that cause thickened pituitary stalks (Table 1). We will not discuss congenital pituitary stalk anomalies, infections involving the pituitary stalk, rare stalk tumors such as pituicytomas, or pituitary adenomas which may extend superiorly.