What causes Sellar Mass?
What causes Sellar Mass?
In children and adolescents with a sellar mass, craniopharyngiomas are the most common underlying pathology. In contrast, pituitary adenomas account for the vast majority of sellar masses in adults. Among pituitary adenomas, clinically nonfunctioning pituitary tumors become more common with advancing age in adults.
What is Sellar tumor?
Parasellar tumors are growths near the part of the brain known as the sella turcica. The most common surgical treatments for parasellar tumors are craniotomy and transsphenoidal surgery; the nonsurgical treatment is stereotactic radiosurgery.
What is the Sellar Region of brain?
The pituitary is a small gland located just underneath the brain. It is attached to the bottom of the brain by the pituitary stalk. The pituitary sits protected inside a saddle-like bony compartment in the base of the skull. This compartment is called the sella.
What is a Craniopharyngioma?
Listen to pronunciation. (KRAY-nee-oh-fuh-RIN-jee-OH-muh) A rare, benign (not cancer) brain tumor that usually forms near the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus. Craniopharyngiomas are slow-growing and do not spread to other parts of the brain or to other parts of the body.
What is a sella mass?
Background: Sellar masses (SM) are mostly benign growths of pituitary or nonpituitary origin that are increasingly encountered in clinical practice. To date, no comprehensive population-based study has reported the epidemiology of SM from North America.
What size pituitary tumor should be removed?
Most patients have a macroadenoma (tumor > 1 cm) at the time of diagnosis. In this situation, surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible is usually the first treatment.
What is a Sellar lesion?
Sellar masses are associated most commonly with pituitary adenomas. Many other neoplastic, inflammatory, infectious, and vascular lesions, however, may affect the sellar region and mimic pituitary tumors. These lesions must be considered in a differential diagnosis.
Where is the Sellar region?
The area immediately around the pituitary, the sellar region and parasellar region, is an anatomically complex area that represents a crucial crossroads for important adjacent structures. The pituitary gland and sella are located below the center of the brain in the center of the skull base.
Is a pituitary tumor serious?
No, in over 99% of patients, this is NOT a cancer; it is benign. Although the tumor is benign, it can cause problems because of its size, causing loss of vision, loss of normal pituitary function (hypopituitarism) and/or headache or because of excessive hormone production by the tumor.
Is craniopharyngioma malignant or benign?
A craniopharyngioma is a benign tumor (neoplasm) derived from embryonic tissue from the sellar region and its surroundings (parasellar region).
What is Nelson’s syndrome?
Nelson’s syndrome is a rare disorder that occurs in some patients with Cushing’s disease patients as a result of removing both adrenal glands. In Nelson’s syndrome, the pituitary tumor continues to grow and release the hormone ACTH.
What is considered a large pituitary tumor?
Large pituitary tumors — those measuring about 1 centimeter (slightly less than a half-inch) or larger — are known as macroadenomas. Smaller tumors are called microadenomas. Because of the size of macroadenomas, they can put pressure on the normal pituitary gland and nearby structures.
Where is the sella?
The sella turcica is a saddle-shaped depression located in the bone at the base of skull (sphenoid bone), in which resides the pituitary gland.
How can you tell if a pituitary tumor is benign or malignant?
MRI or CT scans can detect tumors in the pituitary gland. And blood and urine tests can determine hormone levels. Even under a microscope, it’s difficult to recognize the difference between a cancerous and a noncancerous pituitary tumor.
What is the imaging of choice for Sellar lesions?
Magnetic Resonance An optimal assessment of sellar and suprasellar mass lesions requires both non-contrast and gadolinium-enhanced MRI imaging.
Where is Sellar?
What is sella region?
The sellar and parasellar regions constitute an anatomically complex area comprising various important neurovascular structures within a small space. The sellar region includes the sella turcica and the pituitary gland, together with the ventral adenohypophysis and dorsal neurohypophysis.
Is craniopharyngioma life threatening?
Many experts consider craniopharyngiomas to be a chronic disease, as they tend to recur even when they have been completely removed (resected) surgically. The tumor itself is usually not dangerous, as it is benign and only very rarely becomes malignant.
Is craniopharyngioma fatal?
In most of the reports of outcomes, the mortality is reported up to about 10 years, but there is a significant mortality of patients with craniopharyngioma even more than 10 years after diagnosis of the disease. This may be related to tumor recurrence or to a secondary neoplasm if radiotherapy had been used.
What are the symptoms of Sheehan’s syndrome?
The symptoms of Sheehan syndrome occur as a result of the low hormone levels. These may include an inability to produce breast milk, irregular or absent periods, hot flashes, and a decreased sex drive. Other symptoms may include fatigue, headaches, low blood pressure, and hair loss.