Introduction: The present study was done to determine the size of the sella turcica in different skeletal type subjects and to evaluate if any significant difference exists between them, which could be the basis for early diagnosis.
Materials and methods: A total of 60 lateral cephalograms of patients above 15 years of age were selected and distributed according to skeletal malocclusion into class I (n = 20), class II (n = 20), and 20 class III (n = 20). Syndromic patients (physically/mentally/both) or patients with major illnesses were not included. Two linear measurements of the sella turcica, that is, length and depth in mid-sagittal plane, were obtained in accordance with Silverman and Kisling method. Unpaired t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were performed.
Results: The mean length of sella turcica in class I, class II, and class III subjects was 3.81, 3.37, and 3.9, respectively. Similarly, the mean depth of sella turcica in class I, class II, and class III subjects was 7.6, 6.83, and 9.075, respectively.
Conclusion: No significant difference in length of the sella turcica could be found between different skeletal types. Maximum depth of sella turcica was found to be in subjects with class III and minimum with class II skeletal types.
Clinical significance: The linear dimensions of sella turcica can be used to approximate the pituitary gland size. The pedodontist should be familiar with different morphologies of the sella turcica to differentiate normal from abnormal appearance so that treatment can be diagnosed and treated early.
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