Sella turcica size in subjects with clefts: longitudinal cephalometric measurements

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Orthodontic Division, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the size of sella turcica in cleft subjects from the age of 4-33 years by using standardized serial lateral radiographic cepholgrams. Forty-nine subjects with cleft of the lip and/or palate were included; 24 unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP), 17 bilateral cleft of the lip and palate (BCLP), 6 cleft of the lip (CL), and 2 cleft palate only (CP). The length, depth, and diameter of sella turcica were measured and the mean values were analyzed longitudinally. The results show that when comparing mean dimensional changes of sella turcica between cleft groups, an increase in the diameter of sella turcica was apparent with growth, more so than length and depth. Subjects with UCLP displayed the largest dimensional changes in depth and diameter of sella turcica with age (+0.04167, +0.04167), while subjects with BCLP showed a reduction in the mean length and depth (-0.05882 mm, -0.05882 mm). Significant variations were found in the length, depth and diameter of sella turcica between cleft groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001 respectively). When the effect of age was studied, a positive tendency towards an increase in the linear dimensions of depth and diameter of sella turcica was evident as age increased (P < 0.001). We can conclude that the diameter of sella turcica shows the largest change with growth, and that an increase in dimensional change (depth and diameter) in sella turcica occurs in cleft subjects up until the age of 25 years old.