Sella size and contents in Sheehan's syndrome.

High-resolution computerized tomography was used to assess the size and contents of the pituitary fossa in 57 patients with Sheehan's syndrome and 17 female control subjects. No correlation was found either in the patients or the control group, between sella volume and age, weight, height, parity or time interval from postpartum haemorrhage to scan. The sella volume showed wide variation. The mean sella volume for all patients was 565 mm3 (SD 292) in contrast to a mean volume for the controls of 922 mm3 (SD 155). The difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.001) using the Mann-Whitney test. The stalk was visualized in 46 patients (81%) (20 of these showed other pituitary tissue in addition). The remaining 11 patients showed no pituitary tissue, and only pure CSF density was observed.