Prevalence and MRI findings of incidentally detected pituitary non-enhancing lesion on brain MRI in children.

Abstract

To determine the prevalence and MRI findings of incidentally detected pituitary nonenhancing lesion on brain MRI in children, and to compare the detection rates of pituitary nonenhancing lesion according to magnetic field strength and acquisition technique. Pediatric patients (≤18 years old) who underwent brain MRI with contrast-enhancement between January 2018 and September 2019 were retrospectively included (n=365). The presence, size, and signal intensity of pituitary nonenhancing lesions were assessed by two radiologists. The prevalence of pituitary nonenhancing lesions was compared between different magnetic field strengths and MRI acquisition techniques. Pituitary nonenhancing lesions were identified in 76 patients (20.8%). The anteroposterior diameter of pituitary nonenhancing lesion was the smallest diameter in most patients (93.4%; mean diameter±SD of 2.4±1.5mm; range: 0.9-9.0mm). Sixty-seven percent of the pituitary nonenhancing lesions were hypointense on T1-weighted imaging, 44.1% were hyperintense on T2-weighted imaging, and 12.9% showed low signal intensity on susceptibility-weighted imaging. There was no diffusion restriction in any of the nonenhancing lesions. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of pituitary nonenhancing lesions according to magnetic field strength, age, gender, slice thickness, or 2D vs. 3D contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging sequence. Pituitary nonenhancing lesions were identified on contrast-enhanced brain MRI in 20.8% of pediatric patients, with no significant difference in the prevalence according to magnetic field strength, slice thickness, and 2D or 3D contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging.