- empty s. a s. turcica, often enlarged, that contains no discernible pituitary gland; may be primarily due to an incompetent sellar diaphragm with compression of the pituitary gland by herniating arachnoid or secondarily due to surgery or radiotherapy.
- s. turcica [TA] a saddlelike bony prominence on the upper surface of the body of the sphenoid bone, constituting the middle part of the butterfly-shaped middle cranial fossa; it includes the tuberculum sellae anteriorly and the dorsum sellae posteriorly; with its covering of dura mater it constitutes the hypophysial fossa that accommodates the hypophysis or pituitary gland. SYN: pars sellaris, Turkish saddle.
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sel·la (selґə) gen. and pl. selґlae [L.] 1. a saddle-shaped depression. 2. s. turcica.Medical dictionary. 2011.