Neuroradiology

Granulomatous hypophysitis

chronic inflammatory disease of the pituitary gland caused by tuberculosis, syphilis, sarcoidosis and histiocytosis; it may also be idiopathic. Histologically giant cell granulomas are found.

It presents with symptoms of hypopituitarism and an expanding sellar and suprasellar mass.

Radiologically there is no specificity and a differential diagnosis must be made with pituitary space-occupying lesions, mainly adenomas, and lymphocytic hypophysitis (see hypophysitis lymphocytic).

GS