What is pituitary fossa?

The pituitary is a small gland attached to the base of the brain (behind the nose) in an area called the pituitary fossa or sella turcica. The pituitary is often called the “master gland” because it controls the secretion of most of the hormones in the body.

Where is the pituitary fossa located?

sphenoid bone
The pituitary gland is within the sella turcica or the hypophyseal fossa. This structure is present near the center at the base of the cranium and is fibro-osseous. The anatomical boundaries of the gland have clinical and surgical significance. Sella turcica is a concave indentation in the sphenoid bone.

How big is the pituitary fossa?

He found the average length measurement of the fossa to be 1.16 cm. and the average anterior and posterior depth measurements to be 0.70 and 0.78 cm., respectively. His study of the various shapes of the fossa showed the oblong and cuboidal types to prevail.

What’s the difference between sella turcica and hypophyseal fossa?

The sella turcica is located in the sphenoid bone behind the chiasmatic groove and the tuberculum sellae. It belongs to the middle cranial fossa. The sella turcica’s most inferior portion is known as the hypophyseal fossa (the “seat of the saddle”), and contains the pituitary gland (hypophysis).

What is an enlarged pituitary fossa?

Enlargement of the pituitary gland is when a normal pituitary gland becomes bigger in size for some reason. The change in size can cause your pituitary gland to make too much or too little of certain hormones. A large pituitary may also push on the nerves that connect your eyes to your brain and cause vision problems.

Why is it called sella turcica?

The sella turcica derives its name from the Latin words for Turkish saddle. The name reflects the anatomic shape of the saddle-like prominence on the upper surface of the sphenoid bone in the middle cranial fossa, above which sits the pituitary gland.

What is normal sella?

Within your skull, there’s a small, bony nook at the base of your brain that holds and protects your pituitary gland (which controls how hormones work in your body). This tiny structure is called the sella turcica.

What is the purpose of the sella turcica?

What causes pituitary enlargement?

In some cases, enlargement of the pituitary is due to hyperplasia (increase in the number of cells), which may be a response to low levels of hormones from other glands (for example, low levels of thyroid hormone from the thyroid gland cause the pituitary to enlarge in order to produce more thyroid stimulating hormone …

What is Rathke’s pocket?

Rathke’s pouch is a diverticulum arising from the embryonic buccal cavity, from which the anterior pituitary gland develops. Craniopharyngiomas are composed of well-differentiated epithelial elements, including cysts and ameloblasts, and bone.

What is the structure around the pituitary fossa?

– anterior: tuberculum sellae – posterior: dorsum sellae – inferior: sella turcica – superior: diaphragma sellae

Where is the putitary gland located fossa?

The pituitary gland is a pea-sized oval structure, suspended from the underside of the brain by the pituitary stalk (known as the infundibulum). It sits within a small depression in the sphenoid bone, known as the sella turcica (‘’Turkish saddle’’).

What does fossa mean in anatomy and physiology?

In anatomy, a fossa (/ ˈ f ɒ s ə /; plural fossae (/ ˈ f ɒ s iː / or / ˈ f ɒ s aɪ /); from the Latin “fossa”, ditch or trench) is a depression or hollow, usually in a bone, such as the hypophyseal fossa (the depression in the sphenoid bone). Some examples include: In the Skull:. Cranial fossa. Anterior cranial fossa; Middle cranial fossa. Interpeduncular fossa; Posterior cranial fossa

What is the body temperature of Fossa?

“Typically anything in the range of 97 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit is considered normal,” says Dr. Ford. “But there are times when a perfectly healthy person might have a body temperature that’s slightly higher or slightly lower than that.”