J Korean Radiol Soc.  1992 Jun;28(3):352-355.

Reappearance of the posterior pituitary bright signal in diabetes insipidus: MR follow-up of germinomas after radiotherapy

• Lee HK
• Suh DC
• Chang HS

Abstract

Diabetes insipidus(DI) of central origin is a clinical syndrome resulting from low blood levels of antidiuretic hormone secreted from the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, which is usually caused by lesions involving the hypothalamus-neurohypophyseal axis. MR imaging can reveal absence of the posterior pituitary bright signal(PPBS)in DI. The authors reviewed four patients with intracranial germinomas who had DI due to hypothalamus involvement. All patients before radiotherapy revealed absence of PPBS on MRI. Three cases recovered from DI after radiotherapy and showed reappearance of PPBS. Another one patients who continued DI didn't show signal change of the posterior pituitary gland. Ws speculated that the reappearance of PPBS is related to clinical improvement of DI.

MeSH Terms

Diabetes Insipidus*
Follow-Up Studies*
Germinoma*
Humans
Hypothalamus
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Pituitary Gland
Pituitary Gland, Posterior
Radiotherapy*