title: Primary empty sella (PES): a review of 175 cases.
abstract: The term primary empty sella (PES) makes reference to the herniation of the subarachnoid space within the sella turcica in patients with no history of pituitary tumor, surgery or radiotherapy. To retrospectively assess clinical features, radiological findings and the biochemical endocrine function from the records of 175 patients with a diagnosis of PES. One hundred seventy-five patients (150 females) were studied. The mean age at diagnosis was 48.2 ± 14 year. Most diagnoses were made by magnetic resonance imaging (n = 172). In most patients, the pituitary function was assessed by basal pituitary hormones measurements. Pituitary scans were ordered for different reasons: headache (33.1 %), endocrine disorders (30.6 %), neurological symptoms (12.5 %), visual disturbances (8.75 %), abnormalities on sella turcica radiograph (8.75 %) and others (6.25 %). Multiple pregnancies were observed in 58.3 % of women; headaches, obesity, and hypertension were found in 59.4, 49.5, and 27.3 % of the studied population, respectively. Mild hyperprolactinemia (<50 ng/ml) was present in 11.6 % of women and 17.3 % of men. Twenty-eight percent of our patients had some degree of hypopituitarism. In the male population, hypopituitarism represented 64 % of cases, whereas it accounted for 22 % of all females. PES seems to be more commonly found in middle-aged women, with a history of multiple pregnancies. In most patients, PES was discovered as an incidental finding on imaging studies, while in almost a quarter of patients PES was found during the diagnostic evaluation of anterior pituitary deficiency, which was more common in men.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neuroendocrinología, Sociedad Argentina de Endocrinología y Metabolismo, Díaz Vélez 3889, C1200AAF Ciudad Autónoma de Bs As, Argentina. mguitelman@speedy.com.ar
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Guitelman
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garcia Basavilbaso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chervin
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miragaya
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herrera
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cornalo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Servidio
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boero
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manavela
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Danilowicz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alfieri
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stalldecker
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Glerean
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fainstein Day
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ballarino
authors.forename: Maria Susana
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Mallea Gil
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rogozinski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004652:Empty Sella Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006966:Hyperprolactinemia; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012658:Sella Turcica / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology