Anatomy 1 - Pituitary Gland Flashcards
Endocrine glands of the cranial cavity?
Hypothalamus and pituitary gland
Name for the combination of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland?
Hypophysis
Endocrine glands in the neck?
4 parathyroid glands and the thyroid gland
Endocrine glands in the abdomen?
adrenal (suprarenal) glands and the pancreas
What part of the abdomen are the abdominal endocrine glands located in?
Retroperitoneum
Endocrine glands of the pelvis in females?
2 ovaries (in the broad ligaments)
Endocrine glands of the pelvis in males?
2 testes (in the scrotum)
What is the name of the inferior continuation of the brainstem?
Spinal cord
Name of the combination of thalamus and hypothalamus?
Diencephalon
Where is the diencephalon located?
Between the cerebrum and brainstem -> central core of the cerebrum
What are the 3 parts of the brainstem?
Midbrain
Pons
Medulla (oblongata)
In what ways is the hypothalamus connected to the pituitary gland?
How is this done?
Anatomically and functionally
Via the infundibulum or “pituitary stalk”
How is the pituitary gland anatomically and functionally divided?
Into the anterior and posterior pituitary
What part of the floor of the cranial cavity does the pituitary gland sit in?
Midline structure in the pituitary fossa of the sphenoid bone (within the sella turcica)
What does the pituitary fossa (which the pituitary gland is located in) lie within?
The sella turcica
What are the name of the processes (2x anterior and 2x posterior) that mark the margins of the sella turcica?
Clenoid processes
What structure lies immediately superior to the pituitary gland?
The optic chiasm
What forms the optic chiasm?
The right and left optic nerves
What CN number is the optic nerves?
CNs II
What passes posteriorly from the optic chiasm?
The right and left optic tracts
what is the route between the optic tracts to the occipital lobe?
The optic tracts synapse in the thalamus
The next axons in the chain pass via the optic radiation to the visual cortex in the occipital lobe
What is the optic canal?
Bony channel which the optic nerve passes through in the sphenoid bone
What is the course of a visual stimuli in the nasal side of the visual field of the right eye?
Picked up by the temporal retina which passes stimulation along the right optic nerve to the optic chiasm
Then passes along the right optic tract to the thalamus where it synapses
Next axons pass via the right optic radiation to visual cortex in the occipital lobe
What are the 2 parts of the retina?
Temporal retina and nasal retina
What is the course of a visual stimuli in the (temporal) visual field of the right eye?
Picked up by the nasal retina which passes stimulation along the right optic nerve to the optic chiasm
Then passes along the left optic tract to the thalamus where it synapses
Next axons pass via the left optic radiation to visual cortex in the occipital lobe
What structure in the visual pathway can a pituitary tumour affect?
The optic chiasm
What effect can midline compression of the optic chiasm have on vision?
How?
What is this called?
Disrupts the transmission of action potentials from the nasal retina bilaterally
Patient loses the ability to see structures in the temporal side of the visual field bilaterally
Bitemporal hemianopia
Where are the sphenoidal sinuses located?
At the back of the nasopharynx in the sphenoid bone
2 options for surgical access to the pituitary fossa?
Transcranial approach
Transsphenoidal approach