[Empty sella syndrome: 2 cases to show its polymorphism]

Abstract

Magnetic resonance imaging has proved to be the best technique to visualise the sella and juxtasellar area and it is used successfully to evaluate children with hypopituitarism or other endocraniological disorders in this area. The Authors present two cases of "empty sella syndrome", both characterized by growth hormone deficiency associated with precocious puberty in one case and with delayed puberty in the other one. The Authors stress the importance of magnetic resonance imaging in defining the morphological aspects of the hypothalamo-pituitary region and that empty sella can be associated either with pituitary hypofunction or hyperfunction.