What are the symptoms of empty sella?
When people do have symptoms, these are the most common:
- Headaches.
- High blood pressure.
- Fatigue.
- Impotence (in men)
- Low sex drive.
- No menstrual periods or irregular ones (in women)
- Infertility.
What does an empty sella mean?
If you have empty sella syndrome, your sella turcica is not actually empty. In fact, it means your sella turcica is either partially or totally filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). People with empty sella syndrome also have smaller pituitary glands.
What causes enlarged sella?
ESS may happen if you have an enlarged sella turcica. This is a bony structure where the pituitary gland sits at the base of the brain. Health experts don’t know what causes primary ESS. Secondary ESS may be caused by injury, radiation therapy, or surgery.
How do you fix empty sella syndrome?
For secondary empty sella syndrome, treatment involves replacing the hormones that are missing. In some cases, surgery is needed to repair the sella turcica.
Does empty sella syndrome go away?
Empty sella syndrome is the term used to describe the appearance of a small or absent pituitary gland on pituitary imaging. Most patients have no symptoms, and generally no treatment is required.
How does empty sella affect the brain?
CSF is fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. With empty sella syndrome, CSF has leaked into the sella turcica, putting pressure on the pituitary. This causes the gland to shrink or flatten.
Can empty sella cause dizziness?
Background. Primary empty sella is a herniation of the sellar diaphragm into the pituitary space. It is an incidental finding and patients may manifest neurological, ophthalmological and/or endocrine disorders. Episodes of vertigo, dizziness, and hearing loss, have been reported.
What doctor treats empty sella syndrome?
Jefferson Health endocrinologists provide comprehensive care and expert evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of empty sella syndrome and other disorders involving the pituitary gland.
Does empty sella cause weight gain?
In empty sella, the progressive loss of pituitary hormone secretion is usually a slow process, with symptoms varying from one person to another and depends on the underlying cause. Usually the weight remain relatively constant or we could have several arguments for weight gain.
Is empty sella syndrome a disability?
If you suffer from a pituitary gland malfunction and it makes you unable to work, you may qualify for Social Security disability. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program to pay monthly benefits for those who are unable to work.