Normal variants of the sella turcica

Abstract

Complete study of the sella turcica requires multidirectional tomography. The authors have studied 200 radiographs of normal adults and noted the percentage of variants of each anatomical feature on both standard radiographs and tomograms. The greatest drawback of the standard radiograph is the difficulty in objectively evaluating the effect of pneumatization and/or a septum of the sphenoid sinus on the sellar floor. In this series the floor was concave in 58% of patients, flat in 32.5%, and convex in 9.5%. Lesions which simulate erosion of the posteromedial part of the lamina dura correspond to thinning of the central portion of the base of the dorsum sellae.