Adrenal disorders Flashcards
Adrenal failure Name? Caused by? Clinical symptoms? Clinical signs? Treatment?
Addison’s disease
Autoimmune disease causes adrenal cortex failure OR tuberculosis of adrenal glands
Tanning
Vitiligo
No cortisol/ aldosterone= low blood pressure
Salt loss
Rehydrate with normal saline
Dextrose= prevents hypoglycaemia (because of glucocorticoid deficiency)
Hydrocortisone/ another glucocorticoid
Excess cortisol
Clinical symptoms?
Clinical signs?
Possible causes?
Cushing's disease Weight gain (Increase fat, protein loss) Easy bruising Striae (Stretch marks) Mental changes (Depression) Hirsutism (facial hair) Acne
Hypertension Impaired glucose tolerance (Diabetes) Osteoporosis Immunosuppression (reactivation of infection) Thin skin Fat redistribution Moon face Proximal myopathy (muscle weakness) Interscapular fat pad (Buffalo hump) Centripetal obesity (lemon on sticks) Poor wound healing
Steroids by mouth
Pituitary adenoma (tumour)= Cushing’s DISEASE
Ectopic (in an abnormal place) ACTH (lung cancer)
Adrenal adenoma/ carcinoma
Left adrenalectomy= what is at risk?
Spleen
Imp to vaccinate against bacteria that can only be destroyed by spleen (Hemophilus Influenza Type B (HIB)), pneumovax)
Draw:
Adrenal anatomy in abdomen (Slide 9, lecture 9)
Adrenal gland (Slide 11, lecture 9)
Cholesterol (Slide 8, lecture 9)
Hypothalamo-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (Slide 23, lecture 9)
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Summary diagram of adrenal hormone production
slide 18, lecture 9
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POMC structure+ relevance
Precursor protein, cleaved to form smaller peptides:
ACTH
MSH (Melanocyte-stimulating hormone)
Endorphins
High ACTH levels= may be tanned
Difference between Cushing’s syndrome+ Cushing’s disease?
Cushing’s disease= cause is know to be pituitary adenoma
Cushing’s syndrome= cause could be anything
Aldosterone producing adenoma
Clinical signs?
Conn’s syndrome
Hypertension (difficult to treat)
Oedema
Low potassium
