What does having an empty sella mean?
Empty sella syndrome is a condition in which the pituitary gland shrinks or becomes flattened. The pituitary is a gland attached to the base of the brain. The pituitary secretes hormones that regulate the body’s balance of many hormones controlling growth, development, and metabolism of the body.
What causes partially empty sella?
Secondary empty sella syndrome is caused by a variety of different conditions including injury or trauma to the head, treated pituitary tumors, infection, radiation therapy, surgery on the pituitary region, or rare disorders such as Sheehan syndrome.
What doctor do you see for empty sella?
Jefferson Health endocrinologists provide comprehensive care and expert evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of empty sella syndrome and other disorders involving the pituitary gland.
What does an empty pituitary fossa mean?
Empty sella syndrome is a condition where the pituitary gland appears flattened or shrunken within the sella turcica on a MRI scan. Alternatively, the sella turcica can enlarge with the pituitary gland size remaining relatively normal, giving the appearance of an ’empty sella’.
How common is empty sella syndrome?
Empty Sella Syndrome (ESS) is a disorder that involves the sella turcica, a bony structure at the base of the brain that surrounds and protects the pituitary gland. ESS is often discovered during radiological imaging tests for pituitary disorders. ESS occurs in up to 25 percent of the population.
Can empty sella cause vision problems?
The disorder can also include worsened visual acuity, blurred vision, diplopia, defect in the oculomotor nerve, tunnel vision, quadrantanopia, optical neuritis and CSF rhinorrhea. Endocrine findings include growth hormone deficiency, hypopituitarism, and hyperprolactinemia.
What are the symptoms of partially empty sella?
Symptoms
- Headaches.
- High blood pressure.
- Fatigue.
- Impotence (in men)
- Low sex drive.
- No menstrual periods or irregular ones (in women)
- Infertility.
How serious is partial empty sella?
It is not a life-threatening condition. You may not have any symptoms. If symptoms occur, they may include impotence, less desire for sex, and irregular menstrual periods. You may not need treatment if you do not have symptoms, and if your pituitary gland is not enlarged.
Is empty sella syndrome serious?
Is empty sella syndrome a neurological disorder?
How do you treat partially empty sella?
Empty sella syndrome usually doesn’t require treatment unless it’s producing symptoms. Depending on your symptoms, you may need: surgery to prevent CSF from leaking out of your nose. medication, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), for headache relief.
How do you treat partial empty sella?
There is no specific treatment if pituitary is normal. If Prolactin levels are high interfering with function of ovaries or testes, medications that lower prolactin levels may be suggested. For secondary empty sella syndrome treatment involves replacing the hormones that are lacking.