Clinical Analysis of Empty Sella Syndrome With Visual Disturbance

LI Juan-Juan, Wu Min Li Hua

Department of Ophthalmology, Yunnan Red Cross Hospital, Kunming 650021, China

Objective: To analyze the visual disturbance of empty sella syndrome and its causes.

Methods: A retrospective review of 16 eyes of 12 empty sella syndrome patients with visual disturbance including clinical features、visual acuity and visual field were analyzed.

Results: The average age of 12 cases is 52.4 years, including 8 females and 2 males. Primary empty sella syndrome 10 cases and secondary 2 cases. Visual acuity decreased in 8 cases(10 eyes) , visual field defect in 4 cases(6 eyes). Optic disk edema in 5 cases and atrophy in 2 cases. All cases have a headache and amaurosis, 4 cases have hypohormone features. CT or MRI show enlarged sella and some handle of pituitary shift, 2 of them the optic chiasm shift downword.

Conclusions: Visual disturbance may happen in empty sella syndrome, to the patients with headache amaurosis and hypohormone, CT or MRI should be carried out to exclude empty sella syndrome.

Key words: empty sella syndrome ; visual acuity; visual field