Headache and the Primary Empty Sella Syndrome

Abstract

\s=b\ Otolaryngologists frequently encounter patients with complaints of headaches. On occasion, normal physical examination findings may be accompanied by a roentgenographic enlargement of the sella turcica. In the process of evaluation for an intrasellar neoplasm, an "empty sella" is occasionally discovered.Patients with this condition commonly have headaches, although a cause-effect relationship is controversial. Endocrine and visual disturbances, although rare, necessitate periodic evaluation of these patients. (Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1986;112:883-885) Otol aryngol ogi sts frequently en¬ counter patients with com¬ plaints of "sinus headaches." The presence of an enlarged sella on roent¬ genographic evaluation of the sinuses, while suggestive of an intrasellar neo¬ plasm, is commonly identified on com¬ puted tomographic (CT) scan as a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) density fill¬ ing the sella. The purpose of this article is to bring to the attention of