empty sella syndrome

Empty sella syndrome is the condition when the pituitary gland shrinks or becomes flattened, filling the sella turcica with cerebrospinal fluid instead of the normal pituitary. It can be discovered as part of the diagnostic workup of pituitary disorders, or as an incidental finding when imaging the brain. Signs and symptoms If there are symptoms, people with empty sella syndrome can have headaches and vision loss. Additional symptoms would be associated with hypopituitarism. Additional symptoms are as follows: Abnormality of the middle ear ossicles Cryptorchidism Dolichocephaly Arnold-Chiari type I malformation Meningocele Patent ductus arteriosus Muscular hypotonia Platybasia Cause The cause of this condition is divided into primary and secondary, as follows: The cause of this condition in terms of secondary empty sella syndrome happens when a tumor or surgery damages the gland, this is an acquired manner of the condition. patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension will have empty sella on MRI The cause of primary empty sella syndrome is a congenital defect (diaphragma sellae)