Abstract
Primary empty sella syndrome is well characterized in adults, but extremely rare in children and adolescents. It is caused by a combination of intra-or supra-sellar factors and a defect in the sellar diaphragm, allowing the subarachnoid space to extend into the sella. Despite compression of the pituitary to the sellar floor its function usually is maintained. The enlarged sella however requires exclusion of a pituitary tumour. Unequivocal documentation of the syndrome so far depended on positive cisternography with computerized tomography. By this technique the pituitary and its stalk could be visualized well in a 14 yrs. old girl with an enlarged sella and normal endocrine function. The procedure however is unpleasant and involves x-irradiation. Nuclear magnetic resonance technique avoids these disadvantages and promises even better resolution of anatomic details. This could be confirmed in the patient and is evident from comparative images of the flattened pituitary and its stalk within the empty sella.
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Petrykowski, W., Reinwein, H., Ostertag, C. et al. Asymptomatic primary empty sella syndrome in a 14 yrs. Old girl. Comparison of CT and NMR imaging. Pediatr Res 18, 1228 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00163
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198411000-00163