adrenal gland Flashcards
What are the 3 main categories of adrenal disease?
Hyperfunctioning, Adrenal insufficiency, normal functionE
What is cushings syndrome? What are the two types? What is the diagnostics test?
excess glucocorticoid
Exogenous - large doses of steroid
Endogenous - overproduction of cortisol by adrenal cortex
urniary 17-hydroxycorticosteroid level
What is the majority cause of cushings syndrome? What are the types?
Excess ACTH
ACTH dependent - bilateral adrenal hyperplasia
ACTH independent - adenoma, carcinoma, PPNAD, AIMAH
What are the causes of excess ACTH in ACTH dependent cushings?
Pituitary, oat cell tumor, bronchial adenoma, ovary, pancreas, thymus, thyroid
Truncal obesity, hirsutism, abdominal striae, and muscle atrophy suggest what syndrome?
Cushings
How do you distinguish macronodular hyperplasia from pituitary adenoma versus a cortisol producing adenoma
Size of contralateral adrenal gland - will be atrophic in cortisol secreting adenoma and enlarged in pituitary adenoma
What is conns syndrome? What are the types?
Primary aldosteronism
Adrenal hyperplasia - idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (more common), primary adrenal hyperplasia
Adrenal tumor
What are the two types of primary aldosteronism hyperplasia subtype? What are the differences in treatment?
Idiopathic hyperaldosteronism - medically
Primary adrenal hyperplasia - surgical if unilateral, otherwise medical
Hypokalemia, hypertension, increased aldosterone, low renin
Conn syndrome
What is the pathophysiology of conns syndrome?
ALdosterone causes sodium retention which leads to increased plasma volume and hypertension. Potassium is exchanged for sodium in the distal tubule, thus causing hypokalemia
How is primary vs secondary hyperaldosteronism determined?
Serum renin levels - will be elevated in secondary and low in primary
What is the most common form of CAH? What are the symptoms?
deficiency of 21-hydroxylase
excess androgen effect
What are the two types of adrenal insufficiency?
Primary - tissue destruction of adrenal glands
Secondary - inadequate stimulation
What are 5 causes of primary adrenal insufficiency
Idiopathic Granulomatous disease Metastasis - rarely, because so much cortex (>90%) must be destroyed Lymphoma Hemorrhage
What is a distinguishing characteristic of primary vs secondary adrenal insufficiency?
Primary will have destruction of all producing cells and have decreased cortisol, androgen, and aldosterone.
Secondary will have normal aldosterone production
How much of the adrenal gland has to be destroyed before addisons occurs?
90%
why do addisons patients get hyperpigmentation?
Because of decreased cortisol production, there will be increased ACTH production which is on the same gene as melanocyte stimulating hormones
What is the radiographic appearance of addisons?
Depends on the cause
Granulomatous disease will be calcified with bilateral enlargement with maintanance of shape
Which tumors are larger - conns or cushings
Cushings
Which has larger adrenal glands - exogenous or endogenous?
Exogenous
When is venous sampling helpful?
in determining masculinizing/feminizing tumors
What are pheochromocytomas composed of? What is the name for an extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma?
Chromaffin cells
Paragangliomas
What is MEN2A and MEN2B
2A - PMP, medullary thyroid, pheo, parathyroid
2B - Medullary, pheo, marfan, neuromas
What, aside from MEN, are the associations with pheochromocytoma? What is carney’s triad?
NF1, VHL
gastric leiomyosarcoma, pulmonary chondroma, extra adrenal pheochromocytoma
Where are most pheos located? What is the difference in location between sporadic and MEN associated pheos?
90% in medulla
Sporadic - up to 25% outside adrenal, normal medulla
MEN - multicentric and intraadrenal, hyperplastic medulla
T or F: extraadrenal pheos are more likely to be malignant
True