Primary empty sella

Primary empty sella (PES) consists of herniation of the suprasellar subarachnoid space within the sella turcica in patients with no history of sellar pathology. Diagnosis is mostly made incidentally.

Describe the characteristics of patients with PES.

Patients with PES from 6 Argentine centers specialized in Neuroendocrinology in Buenos Aires diagnosed between 1997-2021 were included. Diagnosis was based in sellar magnetic resonance, pituitary functional evaluation by baseline hormonal measurement and visual function assessed by neuro-ophthalmological evaluation and campimetry.

Sixty-three patients with a mean age of 52.3 ± 13.2 years and a predominance of female gender (79%, 4:1 ratio) were included. The average BMI was 32.7 ± 8.13 kg/m2 and 68% were overweight or obese. HTA was also found in 59%. Among women, the parity frequency was 78%: 92% had multiple pregnancies. The diagnosis was incidental in 22%. In symptomatic patients (n= 49), the reasons for consultation were headache in 61%, symptoms of endocrine dysfunction in 51% and visual disturbances in 33%: 43% of the patients presented multiple symptoms. MRI showed partial PES in 63% and total PES in 37% of the patients. In the biochemical evaluation, hypopituitarism was observed in 46%.

Although the diagnosis of PES can be made incidentally, in our series most of the patients presented symptoms. Most of them were multiparous women, obese and hypertensive patients. Biochemical evaluation should be carried out to investigate isolated or multiple pituitary deficits in order to indicate the corresponding replacement treatment.