. 35 year old mother of two children is suffering from amenorrhea from last 12 month. She has a history of failure of lactation following second delivery but remained asymptomatic thereafter. Skull X-ray shows empty sella diagnosis is:
**Core Concept:**
Amenorrhea refers to the absence of menstruation in a woman. Empty sella turcica, also known as pituitary microadenoma, is a condition characterized by the enlargement of the sella turcica due to the protrusion of the pituitary gland into the sella turcica, leading to a pituitary hormone imbalance and subsequent amenorrhea.
**Why the Correct Answer is Right:**
In this case, the correct answer (C) is related to pituitary dysfunction. The empty sella turcica, also known as a pituitary microadenoma, is characterized by a protrusion of the pituitary gland into the sella turcica, causing an imbalance in pituitary hormones. This leads to secondary amenorrhea in the patient described, as her history of failure of lactation following the second delivery suggests an underlying hormonal issue.
**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect:**
A) This option is incorrect as it is related to thyroid dysfunction, which is not the primary cause of amenorrhea in this scenario. Thyroid disorders would mainly affect the patient's general well-being, not specifically impact menstrual cycles.
B) This answer focuses on hypothalamic dysfunction, which is also not the primary cause of amenorrhea in this case. A hypothalamic disorder would affect the patient's overall hormonal balance, but not specifically cause amenorrhea.
D) This answer relates to adrenal disorders, which would not be the primary cause of amenorrhea in this situation. Adrenal problems would primarily impact the patient's general well-being, not specifically affect menstrual cycles.
**Clinical Pearl:**
Empty sella turcica is a rare condition, and it is essential to consider it when evaluating a patient with amenorrhea, especially when there is a history of lactation failure post-delivery. In this case, the correct diagnosis is pituitary dysfunction, specifically a pituitary microadenoma causing hormonal imbalance resulting in amenorrhea.