Home > Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders > Empty Sella Syndrome

Definition

Empty sella syndrome is the appearance, by radiograph (x ray) of the skull, that the sella turcica, which normally contains the pituitary gland, is empty.

Description

Sella turcica is Latin for "Turkish saddle," which roughly describes the U–shaped appearance of this bony pocket when seen by x ray. It is a concavity in the middle of the sphenoid bone measuring about 1.5 × 1.0 × 0.5 cm. The sphenoid bone forms a portion of the base of the skull just behind the eyes, at about the midpoint and just below the cerebral hemispheres.

The pituitary gland has a bulbous shape, extending on a stalk below the hypothalamus. The pituitary normally completely fills the sella turcica. The subarachnoid space, filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), surrounds the pituitary stalk. The dura mater (see Meninges) normally extends away...