Table 2.

Differential imaging characteristics of hypothalamic-pituitary region in lymphocytic hypophysitis (LYH) and pituitary adenoma

Imaging technique	LYH	Adenoma
Sellar X-ray	Sellar floor without depression nor alteration	Unilateral depression of sellar floor
NMR	Pituitary enlargement with symmetrical sovrasellar expansion. Compression and displacement of chiasma. Stalk thickened but not deviated	Unilateral endosellar mass (microadenoma) or inhomogeneously expanding pituitary mass with asymmetrical sovrasellar extension (macroadenoma). Contralateral deviation of stalk
After gadolinium	Intense and homogeneous enhancement of pituitary mass. Appearance of ‘dural tail’. Loss of ‘bright spot’ of neurohypophysis in case of infundibuloneurohypophysitis clinically associate to diabetes insipidus	Slight, delayed and inhomogeneous enhancement. Usually lack of ‘dural tail’. Persistence of ‘bright spot’