CSF rhinorrhea associated with the empty-sella syndrome.

The empty-sella syndrome consists of the abnormal extension into the sella turcica of an arachnoid diverticulum filled with CSF, which displaces and compresses the pituitary gland. Such a diverticulum can erode through the sellar floor and lead to CSF rhinorrhea through the sphenoidal sinus. Empty-sella syndrome should be considered a diagnostic possibility in patients with nontraumatic CSF rhinorrhea. Diagnosis and treatment are best accomplished with a team approach involving the otolaryngologist, neurosurgeon, neuroradiologist, and neuroendocrinologist. Definitive diagnosis requires pneumoencephalography and thin-section polytomography. Attention should be directed to the possibility of a coexisting pituitary adenoma. Treatment can be accomplished by a transseptal, transsphenoidal approach with localization and repair of the leak.