Ossification of the Sella Turcica and Clinoid Ligments: Case Report, Morphological Study and Literature Review

Abstract

SUMMARY : The morphology of the Sella Turcica is important both as a reference in cephalometric studies and in the pituitarygland, internal carotid artery and cavernous sinus surgical boarding. The present report describes a case of partial ossification of the sellaturcica walls in a dry skull of 40-year-old Brazilian individual. We analyze the morphometric characteristics of the region. KEY WORD: Sella turcica; Pituitary; Carotid aneurysm; Interclinoid ligament. INTRODUCTION The ossification of the sella turcica region (ST) occursfrom the pituitary cartilage of cartilaginous neurocranium(Fitzgerald, 1978; Moore, 1988; Gomez-Sanchez et al., 2005).In cephalometry studies, the morphology of the ST sets animportant landmark, to assess and monitor normal growth andresults of orthodontic treatments (Axelsson et al ., 2004).Melsen (1974) has reported that the bone appositionalgrowth of the anterior wall of the inner surface of the ST stop searly in life, while the reabsorption of the rear floor and thewall behind the ST continues for a long period. The ST iscircumscribed within the anterior and posterior clinoidprocesses; variations in shape and size of these processes havebeen widely documented.Along with the pterygospinous, pterygoalars andcarotico-clinoid ligaments, the interclinoid ligaments comprisea group of intrinsic ligaments of the sphenoid bone. The sellaturcica bridge corresponds to the partial or completeossification of the interclinoid ligaments, as it has been repo rtedby many authors (Tebo, 1968; Kapur