Objective To investigate the value of measurement about signal intensity of posterior pituitary lobe on midline sagittal Ti - weighted images. Methods The signal intensity of posterior pituitary lobe in low field MRI about 193 healthy subjects

31 with central diabetes insipidus (CDI) and 33 with pulmonary cancers were measured

and compared with the signal intensity of pons. Results The highintensity signals of posterior pituitary lobe were found in 82. 9% healthy subjects

17. 1 % as intermediate intensity signals

while low intensity signals were not found in this study. The posterior pituitary lobe were iow intensity signal in 96.8% of CDI and 42.4% of pulmonary cancers

whose signal intensity ratios (SIR) were under 0. 93. Conclusion The low intensity signal of posterior pituitary lobe was pathologic

which was not found in healthy subjects.