title: Empty sella syndrome, diagnosed as allergic rhinitis.
abstract: Unilateral cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea as the only manifestation of the primary empty sella syndrome is a rare event. A case of a middle-aged male patient complaining for intermittent unilateral rhinorrhea, which started 5 months earlier, is reported. The persistence of this state was attributed to an allergic rhinitis. The initial work-up excluded the above diagnosis and an erroneous radiological diagnosis led to a puncture of the left maxillary sinus. A lateral X-ray of the skull and CT scan led to the diagnosis of empty sella syndrome, possibly due to an adenoma or a meningocele.
authors.affiliation: Section of Allergy and Immunology, Laikon General Hospital of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gonianakis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Segas
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kontou-Fili
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bizakis
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Christodoulou
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Velegrakis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Helidonis
mesh_terms: D001099:Arachnoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002559:Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004652:Empty Sella Syndrome / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004677:Encephalocele / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008588:Meningocele / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D006255:Rhinitis, Allergic, Seasonal / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed