Can You Get Disability Benefits for Empty Sella Syndrome?

Empty sella syndrome (ESS) is an uncommon medical condition that affects the part of the skull known as the sella turcica. The sella turcica is a small bony structure located at the base of the brain that protects the pituitary gland, which controls the body's hormones. When the sella turcica is enlarged or abnormally shaped, it can flatten or shrink the pituitary gland, resulting in hormonal imbalances, headaches, or vision problems.

ESS occurs in about 25% of the population, but only 1% of those affected by the disease experience symptoms. If you have symptoms from empty sella syndrome that are severe enough to keep you from working full-time for at least one year, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits.

Getting Disability for Empty Sella Syndrome

The Social Security Administration (SSA) awards disability benefits to people with a medically determinable impairment that prevents them from working at any job. So if you've been diagnosed with empty sella syndrome and you don't experience any symptoms from the disorder, you're unlikely to qualify for benefits unless you have limitations from another condition.

Partial or total loss of pituitary gland function can disrupt proper hormone regulation. As a result, symptoms of ESS typically involve headaches, fatigue, and reproductive system disorders. Less common (but more serious) symptoms can include swelling of the eyes, pressure in the skull, and leaking cerebrospinal fluid from the nose.

Many people can effectively manage their ESS with medication and occasionally surgery, but if your symptoms persist, you may be eligible for disability benefits. Social Security has three ways you can qualify for disability benefits:

• Meeting a listing. Social Security has a disability evaluation handbook (the "Blue Book") that outlines the requirements for various medical conditions that the agency considers automatically disabling. These are the "listed impairments" or "listings."
• Equaling a listing. If the Blue Book doesn't have a listing for your exact medical diagnosis but your symptoms and limitations are essentially similar to another listing, you may be able to get benefits by "equaling" a listing.
• Having a reduced functional capacity. Even if you don't meet or equal a listing, you may still be eligible for disability benefits if you can show that restrictions in your residual functional capacity rule out all available full-time jobs.

Meeting or Equaling a Listing For Empty Sella Syndrome

Because ESS is often asymptomatic—meaning it doesn't cause any difficulties in functioning—or the symptoms are easily treated, Social Security doesn't have a specific listing for the condition. According to the Blue Book, hormonal imbalances (endocrine disorders) involving the pituitary gland are evaluated according to the type of hormones involved and which body systems are affected. For example, if your ESS disrupts the balance of minerals in your kidney leading to dehydration (diabetes insipidus), the agency will review your disability claim under Blue Book Section 6.00 for genitourinary disorders.

Keep in mind that it's very difficult to qualify for disability by meeting or equaling a listing. You'll need to have significant functional limitations that aren't generally found in people with ESS unless they have an additional disorder. If you have empty sella syndrome along with another condition that together cause you to have greatly reduced kidney function or poor motor movements, you should ask for your doctor's opinion about whether you meet or equal a listing.

Being Unable to Work Because of ESS

The majority of disability applicants—not just those with empty sella syndrome—won't have the medical evidence required to get disability by meeting or equalling a listing. By far the most frequent way of obtaining disability benefits is through a medical-vocational allowance. Under this method, Social Security will determine whether restrictions in your residual functional capacity (RFC) rule out all full-time jobs nationwide.

Your RFC is an assessment of the most you can do, physically and mentally, in a work environment, despite your condition. For example, you might experience sharp, throbbing headaches with vision changes like blurred vision or light sensitivity, which can make it difficult to work around noise or bright lights. Or, you may feel fatigue and throbbing pressure-like pain at the base of your skull, which can become worse with lifting or carrying. Here's an example of what an RFC might look like for an applicant ("claimant") with severe empty sella syndrome:

Somebody with the above limitations is likely to be found disabled because they wouldn't be able to perform even the easiest sit-down jobs on an ongoing, full-time basis. (Note that the SSA defines "occasionally" as occurring for up to one-third of an eight-hour workday and "frequently" as occurring from one-third to two-thirds of an eight-hour workday.)

Medical Evidence You'll Need to Prove Disability Due to Empty Sella Syndrome

Social Security reviews your medical records and daily activities for evidence of limitations that could keep you from working. The agency will be looking for a diagnosis of empty sella syndrome that's backed up by medical findings or lab tests, not simply subjective reports of headaches or fatigue. Doctors usually diagnose empty sella syndrome with an MRI or CT scan, so you should have these imaging results in your record. You should also have the following:

• clinical notes from your doctor reflecting the frequency and severity of your symptoms
• hospital admission and discharge records, if available
• medical opinions such as consultative exam reports or treating source statements
• a list of medications you've taken and any side effects you've experienced, and
• physical examinations establishing any limitations such as decreased range of motion.

Because people with empty sella syndrome don't often experience symptoms, it's often diagnosed when people are getting medical treatment for other conditions, such as migraine headaches. If you've seen a neurologist for migraines in addition to your general practitioner, make sure to let the SSA know so that the agency can obtain and review these records as well.

Disability Benefit Amounts for Empty Sella Syndrome

If your disability application is approved, the amount of money you'll receive won't be determined by your medical diagnosis. Instead, your monthly benefit will depend on whether you qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). You'll receive the same amount in SSDI or SSI for empty sella syndrome as you would for heart disease or bipolar disorder.

SSDI benefits are calculated based on the work credits you've earned, while SSI is a fixed rate (adjusted yearly) available to people with limited income and assets. For 2025, the maximum monthly amount you can receive in SSDI is $4,018, although the average amount is much less, at $1,580. SSI benefits are $967 per month minus any earned income you have for that month.

Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits

An easy way to start your Social Security disability application is to file online. You can also file a claim over the phone by calling 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778) from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you'd prefer to file in person, you can visit your local Social Security field office. For more information, please see our article about applying for Social Security disability benefits.

Getting disability for empty sella syndrome can be challenging. Claims examiners and disability judges might not be familiar with the disorder, and unless you have complications, other medical conditions, or exceptionally severe symptoms, you'll likely face an uphill battle. Consider working with an experienced disability lawyer who can give you an honest assessment of your claim and help you strengthen any weaknesses. Most attorneys work on contingency and offer free consultations, so it doesn't hurt to ask around until you find one who's a good fit for you.