The aim of this educational poster is to explain the key features of the pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) with a special focus on the clinico-radiological correlation, and the differences between the childhood and adulthood forms of presentation.

Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome, also known as pituitary stalk transection syndromeis an uncommoncongenital abnormality of the pituitary responsiblefor anterior pituitary deficiency. The pituitary stalk transection was described following theintroduction of MRI with the following three radiologic features: small anterior pituitary gland thin or absent infundibulum (evaluated after gadolinium administration) ectopic posterior pituitary location The pathogenesis and prevalence of PSIS are still unknown; so is the mortality.Clinical presentation varies according to age. Inadults it presents as short stature and anterior pituitary deficiency, though pleiotropic presentations can...

MRI findings of PSIS consist of hypoplasia or aplasia of the anterior pituitary gland, absence of the "posterior pitutary bright spot" which may be located at the level of the median eminence or alongthe axis of the pituitary stalk, and absent or hypoplastic pituitary stalk. PSIS is associated with either isolated growth-hormone deficiency or multiple pituitary hormone deficiency. The former is more commonly associated to a truncated or thin pituitary stalk while the latter islinked to absence of the pituitary stalk. Patients with stalk transection...

PSIS should be suspected and included in the differential diagnosis of an adult with hypopituitarism. The presence of MRIfeatures suggestive of pituitary stalk transection syndromeshould prompt a full pituitary hormonal evaluation. Generally the patient’s history, in combinationwith MR findings, is diagnostic for this entity.

[1] Berkowitz, F., Lee, P. J., Martin, A. L., & Martin, M. M. (2008). Enlargement of the Proximal Pituitary Stalk Associated with Spontaneous Recovery from Multiple Pituitary Hormone Deficiencies. American Journal of Neuroradiology, 29(8), 1601–1602. http://doi.org/10.3174/ajnr.A1117 [2]Kulkarni, C., Moorthy, S., Pullara, S., Rajeshkannan, R., & Unnikrishnan, A. (2012). Pituitary stalk transection syndrome: Comparison of clinico-radiological features in adults and children with review of literature. Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging, 22(3), 182. http://doi.org/10.4103/0971-3026.107179 [3]Ram, N., Ali, S. A., & Hussain, S. Z. (2014). Pituitary stalk...