The study of shape and size of normal sella turcica in cephalometric radiographs

Choi, Wook Jin; Hwang, Eui Hwan; Lee, Sang Rae

Abstract

PURPOSE: To investigate the shape and size of normal sella turcica on cephalometric radiograms.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Cephalometric radiograms of 200 orthodontic patients of age ranging 6-42 years were examined. All subjects were divided into 5 groups by age, the dimensional change of sella turcica was examined according to age, and the configurations of sella turcica floor, tuberculum sella, and anterior and posterior clinoid process were also observed.
RESULTS
The contours of sella turcica floor were flat type in 54% and concave type in 46%. The contours of tuberculum sella were right angle type in 55% and obtuse angle type in 44%; Acute angle type and plane type were very rare comprising 0.5%, 0.5% each. The configurations of anterior clinoid process were point type in 80% and round type in 20% of cases, and those of posterior clinoid processes were point type in 60% and round type in 40% of cases. The dimensional change of sella turcica according to age range had significantly positive linear trend to sella turcica length, height, and width until 25 years. After 26 years, no significant increase was found in sella turcica dimension. Especially, the sella turcica length had more proportional increase than that of sella turcica height and width.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study revealed that the configuration of normal sella turcica was variable and the dimensional change of normal sella turcica had a linear tendency with age until 26 years.