Evaluation of size and morphology of sella turcica

Introduction: One of the most commonly used cranial landmarks for cephalometric tracing is sella point. Sella point is located in the centre of sella turcica with the turcica housing the pituitary gland in the crainal base. This gland lies within the pituitary fossa and consists of the anterior lobe, the intermediate lobe and the posterior lobe. Any abnormality or pathology in the gland could manifest from an altered shape of the sella turcica to a disturbance in the regulations of glandular hormones, prolactin, growth hormones, thyroid – stimulating hormone, follicular stimulating hormone, etc. Aims and Objective: The aim of the study was to determine difference in dimensions of sella turcica in different age groups and genders, that could assist in detection and evaluation of pathological conditions. Materials and Method: Lateral cephalometric radiographs of 100 individuals (50 males and 50 females) were evaluated retrospectively. The radiographs were divided into two groups according to the subject's age: pre-pubertal (<15 years) and post pubertal (15 years or more). Linear dimensions length, depth and diameter were measured. Chi-square test and ANOVA test were used for statistical analysis. Results: A statistical significant difference in linear dimensions between age groups were found in sella length, depth and diameter with p value <0.0001. There was no significant difference in the linear measurements of sella turcica between males and females with p value >0.05. Conclusion: Dimensions of sella turcica used as reference standards in the assessment of age of the subjects in different age groups and there was a gradual increase in the size of sella turcica as age advances.