Adrenal Disorders 9 Flashcards
What is primary adrenal failure called?
Addisons disease
What is excess cortisol known as?
Cushings disease
Where does the left adrenal drain into?
Left Renal vein
Where does the right adrenal drain into?
IVC
What can be easily damaged during a left adrenolectomy?
The spleen
Name all the layers of the adrenal (inwards out)
Medulla, z. Reticularis, Z. fasciculata, Z. glomerulosa
How is the medulla accessed by the many exterior arteries (e.g. superior superrenal artery)
Medullary arterioles supply the medulla and the cortex is supplied by cortical capillaries
What does the adrenal cortex produce?
- cortisol
- aldosterone
- sex steroids
What are the 3 main groups of hormones?
- peptides (ACTH)
- steroids (Sex hormones)
- amines (adrenaline/nor…)
What does the glomerulosa produce?
aldosterone
What does the medulla produce?
Adrenaline
What does the reticularis produce?
Small amounts of androgens e.g. testosterone
What does the fasciculata produce?
Cortisol
Describe the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis for Cortisol
1) Hypothalamus produces Corticotrophin-releasing Hormone
2) Pituitary synthesis POMC
3) POMC cleaved to form ACTH
4) ACTH acts on the fasciculata of the adrenals to produce Cortisol
5) Cortisol has -ve feedback on both the hypothalamus as well as the pituitary
What is POMC cleaved into?
ACTH. MSH and endorphins.
