Hypothalamic hamartoma

What it means

The presence of a hamartoma of the hypothalamus.

Hypothalamic hamartoma is a malformation, not a tumor. Hypothalamic hamartomas grow at the rate of, or slower than, the surrounding brain tissue. A hamartoma of the hypothalamus appears as a non-enhancing mass in the floor of the third ventricle posterior to the optic chiasm that is isointense to gray matter on T1 and T2 pulse sequences of an MRI, but may have distinct intensity on FLAIR (neither cranial CT examination nor cranial ultrasound examination is adequate for diagnosis of hypothalamic hamartom). Individuals with hypothalamic hamartomas may have neurologic symptoms, although most are asymptomatic. Removal of the hypothalamic hamartoma is not indicated and often results in iatrogenic pituitary insufficiency.

Rare diseases that can present with this2

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category