Posterior pituitary
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Hacking C, Gaillard F, Smith D, et al. Posterior pituitary. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 22 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-49865
rID:
49865
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Frank Gaillard had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures
Revisions:
7 times, by
5 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
Systems:
Sections:
Synonyms:
- neurohypophysis
The posterior pituitary (also known as neurohypophysis) is a direct extension from the hypothalamus and does not synthesise any hormones, but rather releases oxytocin and ADH (vasopressin) which has travelled down the infundibulum in vesicles termed Herring bodies. The cell bodies reside into hypothalamic nuclei:
The infundibular stalk is also considered part of the neurohypophysis and extends from the tuber cinereum and pierces the diaphragma sellae before being surrounded by the pars tuberalis of the anterior pituitary.
Radiographic features
MRI
In the majority of normal studies, the posterior pituitary gland is visible as a region of T1 hyperintensity (posterior pituitary bright spot), due to T1 shortening from vasopressin content. It is not always visible. The prevalence varies according to different studies, ranging from 52% to over 90% 5.
Following the administration of contrast, it enhances vividly 4.
For relations and blood supply, please see the main pituitary gland article here.
Related pathology
Quiz questions
References
- 1. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Butler P, Mitchell A, Healy JC. Applied Radiological Anatomy. Cambridge University Press. (2012) ISBN:0521766664. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 4. Miki Y, Asato R, Okumura R, Hua F, Konishi J. Contrast Enhanced Area of Posterior Pituitary Gland in Early Dynamic MRI Exceeds Hyperintense Area on T1-Weighted Images. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 1992;16(6):845-8. doi:10.1097/00004728-199211000-00002 - Pubmed
- 5. Brooks B, el Gammal T, Allison J, Hoffman W. Frequency and Variation of the Posterior Pituitary Bright Signal on MR Images. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1989;153(5):1033-8. doi:10.2214/ajr.153.5.1033 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Supraoptic nucleus
- Pituicytoma
- Ectopic posterior pituitary
- Paraventricular nucleus
- Blood-brain barrier
- Inferior hypophyseal artery
- IgG4-related hypophysitis
- Langerhans cell histiocytosis (CNS manifestations)
- Circumventricular organs (CNS)
- Tuber cinereum
- Nelson syndrome
- Supraopticohypophyseal tract
- Posterior pituitary bright spot
- Pituitary gland
Cases:
Multiple choice questions:
Related articles: Anatomy: Brain
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brain
- grey matter
- white matter
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cerebrum
-
cerebral hemisphere (telencephalon)
- cerebral lobes and gyri
- frontal lobe
- parietal lobe
-
occipital lobe
- occipital pole
- lingual gyrus
- fusiform gyrus (Brodmann area 37)
- calcarine (visual) cortex
- cuneus
- temporal lobe
- basal forebrain
- limbic system
- insula
-
cerebral sulci and fissures (A-Z)
- calcarine fissure
- callosal sulcus
- central (Rolandic) sulcus
- cingulate sulcus
- collateral sulcus
- inferior frontal sulcus
- inferior occipital sulcus
- inferior temporal sulcus
- interhemispheric fissure
- intraparietal sulcus
- lateral (Sylvian) sulcus
- lateral occipital sulcus
- marginal sulcus
- occipitotemporal sulcus
- olfactory sulcus
- paracentral sulcus
- paraolfactory sulcus
- parieto-occipital fissure
- posterior parolfactory sulcus
- precentral sulcus
- preoccipital notch
- postcentral sulcus
- rhinal sulcus
- rostral sulcus
- subparietal sulcus
- superior frontal sulcus
- superior occipital sulcus
- superior temporal sulcus
- cortical histology
- cerebral lobes and gyri
- white matter tracts
- deep grey matter
-
pituitary gland
- posterior pituitary and stalk (part of diencephalon)
- anterior pituitary
- inferior hypophyseal arterial circle
- diencephalon
-
cerebral hemisphere (telencephalon)
-
brainstem
- midbrain (mesencephalon)
- pons (part of metencephalon)
- medulla oblongata (myelencephalon)
- white matter
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grey matter
- non-cranial nerve
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cranial nerve nuclei
- oculomotor nucleus
- Edinger-Westphal nucleus
- trochlear nucleus
- motor nucleus of CN V
- mesencephalic nucleus of CN V
- main sensory nucleus of CN V
- spinal nucleus of CN V
- abducent nucleus
- facial nucleus
- superior salivatory nucleus
- cochlear nuclei
- vestibular nuclei
- inferior salivatory nucleus
- solitary tract nucleus
- ambiguus nucleus
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cerebellum (part of metencephalon)
- vermis
- cerebellar hemisphere
- cerebellar peduncles
- cranial meninges (meninx primitiva)
- CSF spaces
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cranial nerves (mnemonic)
- olfactory nerve (CN I)
- optic nerve (CN II)
- oculomotor nerve (CN III)
- trochlear nerve (CN IV)
- trigeminal nerve (CN V) (mnemonic)
- abducens nerve (CN VI)
- facial nerve (CN VII) (segments mnemonic | branches mnemonic)
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vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)
- vestibular ganglion (Scarpa's ganglion)
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- vagus nerve (CN X)
- spinal accessory nerve (CN XI)
- hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
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circle of Willis
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normal variants
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- internal carotid artery (ICA)
- anterior cerebral artery (ACA)
- middle cerebral artery (MCA)
- posterior cerebral artery (PCA)
- basilar artery
- persistent carotid-vertebrobasilar artery anastomoses (mnemonic)
- vertebral artery
- ophthalmic artery
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cerebral venous system
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dural venous sinuses
- basilar venous plexus
- cavernous sinus (mnemonic)
- clival diploic veins
- inferior petro-occipital vein
- inferior petrosal sinus
- inferior sagittal sinus
- intercavernous sinus
- internal carotid artery venous plexus of Rektorzik
- jugular bulb
- marginal sinus
- occipital sinus
- sigmoid sinus
- sphenoparietal sinus
- straight sinus
- superior petrosal sinus
- superior sagittal sinus
- torcula herophili
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cerebral veins
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superficial veins of the brain
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- inferior cerebral veins
- superficial middle cerebral vein
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- inferior anastomotic vein (of Labbe)
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superficial veins of the brain
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deep veins of the brain
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- venous circle of Trolard
- normal variants
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dural venous sinuses
- arteries
- glymphatic pathway
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