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Sellar spine

Case contributed by Bruno Di Muzio
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

MRI hypophysis requested as part of protocol to assess precocious puberty.

Patient Data

Age: 10-year-old
Gender: Female

MRI Hypophysis

mri

The hypophysis gland is within normal limits for the patient age, keeping normal morphology and homogeneous enhancement. The infundibulum is centered. There is a posteroanterior bony spur arising from the superior portion of the dorsum sellae and protruding against the hypophysis. This structure follows the same signal of the dorsum sellae, being hyperintense on both T1 and T2, and causing the artefactual impression of a hypophysis nodule on the coronal images. 

Case Discussion

Sellar spine corresponds to a rare variant of the sellar structure, and variant corresponds to a mid-line spur that projects anteriorly from the dorsum sellae, as spotted in this case. 

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