MR Imaging of Large Hypothalamic Hamartomas in Two Infants

Hamartomas of the hypothalamus are uncommon congenital tu-mors. Most originate in the area of the tuber cinereum and extend into the basal cisterns. They rarely exceed 2 em in diameter. Case Reports Case 1 was an 11-month-old boy referred for the evaluation of apnea and seizures, which he had had since birth. He had syndactyly, polydactyly, a cleft epiglottis, and developmental delay. He was hypoglycemic, hypothyroid, and deficient in growth hormone. Case 2 was a 6-month-old boy referred because of mild developmental delay. A large suprasellar mass was found in both patients on CT and MR (Figs. 1 and 2). Because of the central location of the masses, neither patient had a biopsy. Clinically, the infants remained unchanged 1 year after their initial visits. Discussion Histologically, hamartomas of the hypothalamus most closely re