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Figure 1a. (a) Drawing shows the hypothalamus (outlined with a dashed line) lying below an imaginary line between the anterior commissure (AC) and the posterior commissure (PC). The anterior boundary of the hypothalamus is the lamina terminalis (LT), which extends between the optic chiasm (OC) and the anterior commissure. The posterior boundary is imprecise; it is indicated by a line that extends between the mamillary bodies (MB) and the posterior commissure. The floor of the hypothalamus is formed by the infundibular stalk (IS), the tuber cinereum (TC), and the mamillary bodies. The major tracts related to the hypothalamus, the mamillothalamic tract (MT) and the postcommissural fornix (PF), are also shown. (b) Sagittal T1-weighted MR image clearly demonstrates the anatomy of the hypothalamus. Note the high-signal-intensity area (arrowhead) representing the posterior pituitary gland. AC = anterior commissure, IS = infundibular stalk, LT = lamina terminalis, MB = mamillary bodies, OC = optic chiasm, PC = posterior commissure, TC = tuber cinereum. (c) On a sagittal contrast material–enhanced MR image, the infundibular stalk and pituitary gland show normal homogeneous enhancement, which reflects their lack of a blood-brain barrier.
