Morphological and dimensional analysis of the sella turcica across skeletal patterns: a cross-sectional study in an Iranian population.

Abstract

That houses the pituitary gland, across various skeletal patterns in an Iranian cohort, highlighting its diagnostic potential in orthodontics and forensic identification. We examined 233 cephalometric radiographs from individuals aged 18-70 years in Mashhad, Iran (78 males (33.5%) and 155 females (66.5%)). The dimensions of the sella turcica (diameter, length, and depth) were measured using Romexis software. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess dimensional differences across skeletal patterns (p < 0.05). Pearson's correlation was used to analyze the relationships between dimensions and age, while the Mann‒Whitney test was used to compare dimensions between sexes. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and ANOVA; normality was assessed with the Shapiro-Wilk test, and results are reported as mean ± standard deviation. Significant correlations were found between the dimensions and shape of the sella turcica. The longest length (6.78 mm) was associated with oval shapes (P = 0.003), whereas the greatest diameter (9.25 mm) was associated with flat shapes (P = 0.013). The length and diameter increased with age (P = 0.001 and P = 0.035, respectively). No significant relationships were observed with morphology, sex, skeletal pattern, or facial height (P >0.05). Sella turcica dimensions are influenced by age and floor shape but not by sex, morphology, or skeletal pattern. These findings provide valuable insights for cephalometric analysis to diagnose hypophyseal and craniofacial syndromes.