Anthropometrical Study of the Sella Turcica in a Nigerian Population

Abstract

Anthropometrical data related to the length and depths of the sella turcica without any pathological defect were measured. The subject sampled included 527 Igbos and 459 Yorubas. The pooled samples (986 cases) have the mean value of 6.86+1.21mm, for depth and 11.97+1.56mm, for length. The mean length of the Sella turcica was 10.92+1.56mm for the Igbos and 11.10+1.47mm for the Yorubas. The mean depth of the Sella turcica for the Igbos was 5.52+0.89mm, and 6.96+1.38 for Yorubas (P<0.05). The dimensions were significantly higher in the Yorubas. The regression equation of the straight line that passes through a significantly correlated distribution is Depth = 0.6737 x Age + 670803, length = 0.10922 x Age + 9.58621. The correlation coefficient is significant at P=0.005. In clinical practice increase or decrease in size of the sella turcica are manifestation of several diseases. The values obtained from the samples were relatively smaller than the Caucasian values (Camp 1923).