Rathke's cleft cyst differential diagnosis

Cystic pituitary neuroendocrine tumors and cystic craniopharyngiomas may mimic Rathke's cleft cysts when there is no solid enhancing component on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Craniopharyngioma

no gender difference similar age group usually suprasellar or have a suprasellar component tend to calcify

Rathke cleft cysts can be distinguished from pure cystic adenoma and craniopharyngioma with the presence of an intracystic nodule, T2 Hypointensity, the absence of the thick contrast-enhancing wall, and absence of intralesional septations 1).


arachnoid cyst older patients no gender difference


epidermoid cyst usually suprasellar restriction on DWI


teratoma usually has solid components often fatty signal Related articles

Pituitary region masses

General reading

pituitary region Pathology

pituitary tumours[+] cellular inflitrates[+] other lesions anterior circulation berry aneurysm

hamartoma (tuber cinereum hamartoma)

Rathke cleft cyst intracranial lipoma sphenoid sinus mucocele pituitary abscess pituitary stone

pituitary abscess 2).

1)
Altintas Taslicay C, Dervisoglu E, Cam I, Yaprak Bayrak B, Mese I, Anik I, Ceylan S, Anik Y. Differentiation of pure cystic sellar lesions on magnetic resonance imaging. Neuroradiol J. 2023 Mar 9:19714009221147223. doi: 10.1177/19714009221147223. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36891824.
2)
Yang C, Bao X, Liu X, Deng K, Feng M, Yao Y, Wang R. Rathke cleft cyst masquerading as pituitary abscess: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017 Mar;96(10):e6303. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000006303. PubMed PMID: 28272259; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5348207.