Sellar lesions.

A thorough knowledge of the surgical anatomy of the sellar region is prerequisite to understanding the symptoms and the pathophysiology of diseases in this area. The differential diagnoses of sellar and parasellar lesions includes pituitary tumor, craniopharyngioma, carotid aneurysm, empty sellar syndrome, metastatic tumor, optic or hypothalamus glioma, meningioma, chordoma, mucocele, and bony tumor of the sphenoid sinus. The preoperative evaluation should encompass the consultations of an endocrinologist, an ophthalmologist, and a neurosurgeon.