What does it mean to have an empty sella?

What does it mean to have an empty sella?

Empty sella syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by enlargement or malformation of a structure in the skull known as the sella turcica. The sella turcica is a saddle-shaped depression located in the bone at the base of skull (sphenoid bone), in which resides the pituitary gland.

What is Primary empty sella syndrome?

The buildup of spinal fluid squashes the pituitary gland flat, so it looks like your sella turcica is empty. This condition is known as primary empty sella syndrome (ESS). Your pituitary gland also can be flattened or small because you’ve had surgery or radiation for a tumor or a serious head injury.

Can IIH cause empty sella syndrome?

Empty sella has been associated with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) [1–4, 6], yet its occurrence in IIH varies considerably in the literature, ranging from 2.5 % for totally empty sella in which the pituitary gland is not visible, and up to 94 % for partially empty sella that encompasses a wide range of …

Is the empty sella syndrome a life threatening condition?

In some cases, if the number of hormones is not reduced, the quantity of the hormones secreted is affected. Empty sella syndrome may not be a life threatening condition.

Why do I have an empty sella gland?

The sella is empty because of the shrinking of the pituitary gland because of an injury, surgery or radiation therapy in secondary empty sella syndrome. Some people can have questions about the empty sella syndrome.

What kind of hormones do you need for Empty sella syndrome?

Some of the important hormones that a woman needs to be tested for in case of empty sella syndrome are thyroid, estrogen or estradiol and cortisol.

Can a MRI show scattered white matter lesions?

Many times I get consulted by patients or their relatives when their MRI brain report reads multiple scattered white matter lesions seen. The radiologist’s report usually further reads that these can be seen in primary demyelinating conditions like multiple sclerosis or in vascular disorders.

What kind of MRI is used for Empty sella syndrome?

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are useful in evaluating empty sella syndrome and for identifying underlying disorders that may be the cause of high fluid pressure.

Is it possible to have an empty sella?

The patient had serial pituitary MRI scans every year, which reportedly showed a gradual decrease in the size of the pituitary gland. The first scans that were obtained for our review in 2004 and 2008 did not reveal a pituitary tumor, but demonstrated a partially empty sella (Figure 1).

How does empty sella syndrome affect the brain?

Empty sella syndrome is a rare congenital condition that can occur when an empty space in the brain is filled with cerebrospinal fluid because of a deformity. This condition could be primary or secondary. The pituitary gland can be flattened along the walls of the sella in primary empty sella syndrome.

What causes high fluid pressure in empty sella syndrome?

In children, empty sella syndrome may be associated with early onset of puberty, growth hormone deficiency, pituitary tumors, or pituitary gland dysfunction. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are useful in evaluating empty sella syndrome and for identifying underlying disorders that may be the cause of high fluid pressure.