5: Anatomy of the pituitary gland Flashcards

1
Q

What are the two endocrine glands found in the cranial cavity?

A

Hypothalamus

Pituitary gland

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2
Q

What are the five endocrine glands found in the neck?

A

Thyroid gland

4 parathyroid glands

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3
Q

What are the three endocrine glands found in the abdomen?

A

Pancreas

2 adrenal glands

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4
Q

What are the endocrine glands found exclusively in

a) males
b) females?

A

a) 2 testes

b) 2 ovaries

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5
Q

Is the pancreas intraperitoneal or retroperitoneal?

A

Retroperitoneal

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6
Q

The brain is split into two left and right ___.

A

hemispheres

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7
Q

What is the most superior part of the brain called?

A

Cerebrum

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8
Q

What is the purpose of the cerebrum?

A

Controls conscious thought

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9
Q

What are the folds in the brain called?

A

Gyri

(gyrus)

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10
Q

What are the grooves on the surface of the brain called?

A

Sulci

(sulcus)

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11
Q

What part of brain is inferior to the cerebrum and posterior to the spinal cord?

A

Cerebellum

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12
Q

What is the purpose of the cerebellum?

A

Controls voluntary movement

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13
Q

What general structure is found at the top of the brainstem?

A

Diencephalon

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14
Q

What does the diencephalon contain?

A

Thalamus

Hypothalamus

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15
Q

The diencephalon is found at the core of the (hypothalamus / cerebrum / cerebellum).

A

cerebrum

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16
Q

The hypothalamus is found (anterior / posterior) to the thalamus.

A

anterior

T H

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17
Q

The thalamus is found (anterior / posterior) to the hypothalamus.

A

posterior

T H

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18
Q

From superior to inferior, what are the three parts of the brainstem?

A

Midbrain

Pons

Medulla oblongata

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19
Q

What is found superior and inferior to the brainstem?

A

Superior - diencephalon, cerebrum

Inferior - spinal cord

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20
Q

Where is the pituitary gland found in relation to the hypothalamus?

A

Inferior

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21
Q

What connects the pituitary gland to the hypothalamus?

A

Infundibulum

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22
Q

The pituitary gland is made up of ___ and ___ segments.

A

anterior and posterior

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23
Q

What bones make up the

a) anterior cranial fossa
b) middle cranial fossa
c) posterior cranial fossa?

A

a) Frontal bone, ethmoid bone

b) Sphenoid bone, temporal bones

c) Occipital bone

(Parietal bones make up the walls of middle and posterior fossae)

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24
Q

Which cranial fossa is the pituitary gland found in?

A

Middle cranial fossa

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25
Q

Which hole does the pituitary gland sit in?

A

Pituitary fossa

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26
Q

The pituitary fossa sits in a larger recess called the ___ ___.

A

sella turcica

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27
Q

What specific part of the ethmoid bone is found in the anterior cranial fossa?

A

Cribriform plate

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28
Q

Which cranial nerves are involved in the visual pathway?

A

Left and right optic nerves (CN II)

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29
Q

Which cranial nerve is responsible for vision?

A

Optic nerve - CN II

30
Q

Which cranial nerves are responsible for eye movements?

A

CN III, IV and VI

Oculomotor, Trochlear and Abducent nerves

31
Q

How many retinae does each eye contain?

A

Two - temporal retina is lateral, nasal retina is medial

32
Q

What photoreceptors do the eyes contain?

A

Rods and cones

Used to know the difference :((((

33
Q

Optic ___ travel through optic ___ in the sphenoid bone until they reach the optic ___.

A

optic nerves in optic canals to optic chiasm

34
Q

Where is the optic chiasm found in relation to the pituitary gland?

A

Superior to pituitary gland

35
Q

What passes posteriorly from the optic chiasm to the thalamus?

A

Optic tracts

36
Q

What structure joins the thalamus to the visual cortex of the occipital lobe?

A

Optic radiation

37
Q

Nasal and temporal retinae

1.

Optic chiasm

2.

Thalamus

3.

Visual cortex of occipital lobe

Name 1, 2 and 3.

A

1. Optic nerves

2. Optic tracts

3. Optic radiation

38
Q

If a pituitary tumour compresses the optic chiasm, sight is lost at the (nasal / temporal) fields of vision bilaterally.

What is this condition called?

A

temporal fields bilaterally

Bitemporal hemianopia

39
Q

What are the two approaches for operating on the pituitary gland?

A

Trans-sphenoidal approach (through the nasal cavity and sphenoid sinus)

Transfrontal approach

40
Q

Which small bone, inferior to the ethmoid bone, separates the right and left nasal cavities?

A

Vomer

41
Q

Which bones make up the walls of the nasal cavity?

A

Nasal bones

Ethmoid bone

Maxilla

42
Q

What notable parts of the ethmoid bone are found in the nasal cavity?

A

Cribriform plate (forms the roof)

Perpendicular plate

43
Q

Which bones form the nasal septum?

A

Ethmoid bone (perpendicular plate)

Vomer

44
Q

What are found on the lateral walls of the nasal cavity?

A

Superior, middle and inferior nasal conchae

Sphenoethmoidal recess, superior, middle and inferior meatuses

45
Q

The superior and middle nasal conchae come from the ___ bone.

A

ethmoid

46
Q

What are the sinuses of the nasal cavity?

A

Right and left frontal sinuses

3 groups of ethmoid air cells

Right and left maxillary sinuses / antra

Right and left sphenoid sinuses

47
Q

What bony structures are surgically fractured to get access to the pituitary gland in the transsphenoidal approach?

A

Nasal septum

Floor and roof of sphenoid sinus

48
Q

What kind of facial fracture can be surgically carried out to get better access to the nasal cavity?

Which bone is fractured?

A

Le Fort I fracture

Maxilla

49
Q

Which arteries anastomose to form the Circle of Willis?

A

Internal carotid arteries

Basilar artery (union of right and left vertebral arteries)

50
Q

The cranial nerves run along the inferior surface of the brain from anterior to posterior - what is the one exception?

A

CN XII - hypoglossal nerve, emerges near brainstem

51
Q

Which membrane lines the floor of the cranial fossae?

A

Dura mater

52
Q

What structure, made of ___ ___, lines the cerebellum and has a central gap?

Which structure passes through the central gap?

A

dura mater

Tentorium cerebelli

brainstem

53
Q

What sheet of dura mater forms a roof over the pituitary fossa?

A

Diaphragm sellae

54
Q

The entire cranial cavity is lined by what?

A

Dura mater

55
Q

Which cranial nerve passes over the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone?

A

CN I - olfactory nerve

56
Q

What drains venous blood from the brain into the internal jugular veins?

A

Dural venous sinuses

via the cavernous sinuses

57
Q

Are the dural venous sinuses examples of veins?

A

No, not histologically veins, channels within the dura mater

58
Q

Which dural venous sinuses surround the pituitary gland?

A

Cavernous and intercavernous sinuses

59
Q

Where are the left and right cavernous and intercavernous sinuses found in relation to the pituitary gland?

A

Cavernous sinuses - left and right of pituitary gland

Intercavernous sinus - anterior to pituitary gland, connects left and right cavernous sinuses

60
Q

Through which hole in the posterior cranial fossa do the internal jugular veins drain?

A

Jugular foramen

61
Q

What is notable about the left and right cavernous sinuses?

A

The left and right internal carotid arteries pass through them

62
Q

The pituitary gland is found (superior / inferior) to the diaphragm sellae.

A

inferior

63
Q

Which blood vessels have windy paths around the left and right cavernous sinuses?

A

Left and right internal carotid arteries

64
Q

Which spaces, running through the temporal bones, accomodates the right and left internal carotid arteries?

A

Carotid canals

65
Q

Which cranial nerves are responsible for

a) vision
b) eye movements?

A

a) Vision = CN II (optic)

b) Eye movements = CN III, IV and VI (oculomotor, trochlear, abducent)

66
Q

Compression of which structure causes bitemporal hemianopia?

A

Optic chiasm

67
Q

The oculomotor, trochlear and abducent nerves all control movements of the eye.

What does the oculomotor nerve also control?

A

Autonomic dilation and constriction the pupil via dilator and sphincter pupillae muscles

Levator palpebrae superioris

68
Q

Apart from problems with eye movement, what occurs when the oculomotor nerve is damaged?

A

Ptosis

Fixed dilated pupil

69
Q

Apart from the brain, what else do the internal carotid arteries supply?

A

Orbits

Eyes

70
Q

What occurs when the

a) cavernous sinus
b) internal cartoid artery

are damaged?

A

a) Venous haemorrhage
b) Catastrophic haemorrhage

71
Q

What are the sensory and motor innervations of the trigeminal nerve?

A

a) Sensation to the face, nasal cavity, superior EAM and external tympanic membrane, anterior 2/3rds of tongue (general sensory)
b) Muscles of mastication, tensor veli palatini (V3)