title: Neuroendocrinological aspects of primary empty sella.
abstract: Neuroendocrinological aspects of 42 patients (33 women, 9 men) with primary empty sella confirmed by CT, cysternography and/or MR imaging were analyzed. The prominent symptoms were headache, visual disturbances and hypertension, occurring primarily in obese women (84.5%). Patients underwent dynamic endocrine testing consisting of insulin-induced hypoglycemia and anterior pituitary stimulation tests GnRH and TRH. Variable degree of pituitary dysfunction was observed in 28 (66.6%) patients. In this study 20 (47.6%) patients were presented with latent hypopituitarism, while manifest hypopituitarism, requiring replacement therapy, occurred in 8 (19%) patients. Mild hyperprolactinaemia was found in 3 patients. Even 14 (33.3%) patients had no evidence of endocrine dysfunction. Often mentioned diabetes insipidus and rhinoliquorrhea were not reported in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroendocrinology and Pituitary Diseases, University Hospital Sestre Milosrdnice, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Becejac
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vizner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berković
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gnjidić
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vrkljan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012658:Sella Turcica / Q000002:abnormalities*; D013577:Syndrome; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology