3 - tumours, pathology

Question 1

give some brief info about pituitary tumours?

Answer 1

1. pituitary adenoma = benign, on anterior pituitary, sporadic or MEN1
2. atypical parathyroid tumours = between adenoma & carcinoma. not malignant yet but suspicious
3. pituitary carcinoma = very rare, strict criteria in that has to invade something important like nerve or vessel
4. craniopharyngioma = benign in sellar turcica region (headaches & visual disturbances)

*pituitary tumours can compress optic chiasm

Question 2

what is meant by functioning and non functioning tumours?

Answer 2

functioning = makes hormones
non-functioning = doesn’t make hormones

Question 3

what hormones can be made by pituitary functional tumours?

Answer 3

• prolactin →most common functional tumour
• FSH/LH
• GH (growth hormones) →causes gigantism in children or acromegaly in adults
• ACTH →usually a microadenoma →cushing’s, bilateral adrenocortical hyperplasia

Question 4

what is benign thyroid tumour to know?

Answer 4

follicular adenoma = benign encapsulated surrounded by thin fibrous capsule. usually non-functional. found by accident unless large then dysphagia

Question 5

what is most common cause of cancer in thyroid?

Answer 5

papillary carcinoma

Question 6

what are some malignant tumours of thyroid gland?

Answer 6

• papillary carcinoma = differentiated. from follicular epithelium
• follicular carcinoma = differentiated. from follicular epithelium
• anaplastic carcinoma = undifferentiated & aggressive. from follicular epithelium
• medullary carcinoma = tumour of parafollicular cells which secrete calcitonin (c-cells)
• thyroid lymphoma = lymphoma that arises in thyroid gland