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Published on: January 17, 2018
Pediatric sellar and suprasellar lesions
Jason W Schroeder1, L Gilbert Vezina
1Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology, Children's National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20010, USA.
Insights
Pediatric sellar and suprasellar masses, including pituitary gland lesions, present differently than in adults. This review covers their embryology, normal appearance, and imaging findings in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Radiology
- Neuroimaging
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Sellar and suprasellar masses are frequently encountered in pediatric patients.
- Lesions in this region exhibit distinct types and frequencies in children compared to adults.
- Understanding these differences is crucial for accurate diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the embryology of the pituitary gland in children.
- To describe the normal imaging appearance of the pituitary gland during childhood.
- To outline the imaging and clinical findings of common and uncommon sellar/suprasellar lesions in the pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- Review of embryological development of the pituitary gland.
- Analysis of imaging characteristics (MRI, CT) of pediatric sellar and suprasellar lesions.
- Correlation of imaging findings with clinical presentations.
Main Results:
- Detailed review of pituitary gland embryogenesis and normal pediatric imaging anatomy.
- Comprehensive overview of common pediatric sellar/suprasellar masses (e.g., craniopharyngioma, glioma, pituitary adenoma).
- Discussion of less common but significant pediatric lesions in these regions.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric sellar and suprasellar masses require a distinct diagnostic approach compared to adults.
- Familiarity with pediatric pituitary embryology and imaging is essential for radiologists and clinicians.
- Accurate identification of lesion type impacts treatment strategies and patient outcomes.
Abstract:
Masses arising in the sella turcica and the suprasellar region are common in children. The type and frequency of the various lesions encountered in childhood differ from the adult presentation. This article reviews the embryology of the pituitary gland and its normal appearance in childhood as well as the imaging and clinical findings of the common and some of the uncommon lesions arising in the sella turcica, the pituitary stalk, the suprasellar cistern and the lower third ventricle in the pediatric population.
