Chemical Pathology- Part 2 (p85-100- Adrenals, calcium, enzymes, nutrition, metabolic disorders, sugar, paeds + renal) Flashcards
What are the common causes of Cushing’s syndrome?
Pituitary tumour- Cushing’s disease 85%
Adrenal tumour 10%
Ectopic ACTH producing tumour 5%
Iatrogenic steroid use
Common symptoms and signs of Cushing’s?
Moon face Buffalo hump Striae Acne HTN Diabetes Muscle weakness- proximal myopathy Hirsutism
What are the investigations to diagnose Cushing’s?
Low dose dexamethasone- 0.5mg- will fail to suppress cortisol in all causes of Cushing’s
High dose dexamethasone 2mg- will suppress pituitary cushing’s
How do you treat Cushing’s?
Treat underlying disease- e.g. surgical removal of lesion
What causes Addison’s?
Autoimmune TB Tumour mets Adrenal Haemorrhage Amyloidosis
What are the symptoms and signs of Addison’s?
Increased K+ Decreased Na+ + Glucose Postural hypotension Skin pigmentation Lethargy Depression
What investigations are used to diagnose Addison’s?
SynACTHen test
How do you treat Addison’s?
Hormone replacement- hydrocortisone/fludrocortison if primary lesion
What causes Conn’s?
Adrenal tumour
What are the symptoms and signs of Conn’s?
Uncontrollable HTN
Raised Na+
Decreased K+
What investigations are used to diagnose Conn’s?
Aldosterone:Renin ratio high
How do you treat Conn’s?
Aldosterone antagonists/potassium sparing diuretics- spironolactone, eplerenone, amiloride
What causes phaeo?
Adrenal medulla tumour leading to increased adrenaline
What are the symptoms and signs of phaeo?
Hypertension
Arrhythmias
Death if untreated
What investigations are used to diagnose phaeo?
Plasma and 24h urinary metadrenaline measurement/catecholamines + VMA (vanillylmandelic acid)
How do you treat phaeo?
Alpha blockade
Beta blockade
Surgery when blood pressure is well controlled
What is phenytoin used to treat?
Seizures
What is digoxin used to treat?
Arrhythmias
What is lithium used to treat?
Relapse of mania in BPAD
What are the signs of phenytoin toxicity?
Ataxia and nystagmus
Treated with omission or reduction of dose
What are the signs of digoxin toxicity and how is it treated?
Arrhythmias
Heart block
Confusion
Xanthopia (seeing yellow)
Treated with digibind aka digoxin immune Fab
What are the signs of lithium toxicity?
Tremor (early) Lethargy Fits Arrhythmia Renal failure- treated with haemodialysis
What are the signs of gentamicin toxicity?
Tinnitus
Deafness
Nystagmus
Renal failure
Treated with omission or reduction of dose
What are the signs of theophyline toxicity?
Arrhythmia
Anxiety
Tremor
Convulsions
Treated with omission or reduction of dose
Normal plasma range of calcium?
2.2-2.6mmol/l
How does calcium exist in the blood in terms of bound/free etc?
45% ionised (free- biologically active)
50% bound to albumin, therefore affected by albumin level- use corrected calcium
What does Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) do?
Increased tubular 1a hydroxylation of vit D (25(OH)D) to form calcitriol
Mobilises calcium and PO4 from bone
Increased renal calcium reabsorption
Increased renal phosphate excretion
What does calcitriol (1,25 (OH)2D) do?
Increased calcium and phosphate absorption from the gut
What causes PTH release?
Decreased plasma Ca
What is the primary defect in 1’ hyperparathyroidism?
Increase of PTH (80% parathyroid adenoma)
What is the primary defect in 2’ hyperparathyroidism?
Renal osteodystrophy
What is the primary defect in 3’ hyperparathyroidism?
Autonomous PTH secretion post renal transplant
What is the primary defect in hypoparathyroidism?
Low levels of PTH
1’- DiGeorge syndrome
2’- Post-thyroid surgery
What is the primary defect in Rickets/osteomalacia?
Vit D deficiency
What is the primary defect in osteoporosis?
Bone loss
What would you see in 1’ hyperparathyroidism in terms of Ca, PO4, PTH, ALP + Vit D?
Increased Ca Decreased PO4 Increased/Normal PTH Increased/Normal ALP Normal Vit D
What would you see in 2’ hyperparathyroidism in terms of Ca, PO4, PTH, ALP + Vit D?
Decreased/Normal Ca Increased PO4 Increased PTH Increased ALP Normal Vit D
What would you see in 3’ hyperparathyroidism in terms of Ca, PO4, PTH, ALP + Vit D?
Increased Ca Decreased PO4 Increased PTH Increased/Normal ALP Normal Vit D
What would you see in hypoparathyroidism in terms of Ca, PO4, PTH, ALP + Vit D?
Decreased Ca Increased PO4 Decreased PTH Decreased/Normal ALP Normal Vit D
What would you see in Rickets/Osteomalacia in terms of Ca, PO4, PTH, ALP + Vit D?
Decreased Ca Decreased PO4 Increased PTH Increased ALP Decreased Vit D
What would you see in Paget’s in terms of Ca, PO4, PTH, ALP + Vit D?
Normal Ca Normal PO4 Normal PTH Increased ALP Normal Vit D
What would you see in osteoporosis in terms of Ca, PO4, PTH, ALP + Vit D?
Normal Ca Normal PO4 Normal PTH Normal ALP Normal Vit D
What are the causes of hypocalcaemia with increased phosphate?
CKD
Hypoparathyroidism (inc post-thyroid surgery)
Pseudohypoparathyroidism
Hypomagnesaemia
What are the causes of hypocalcaemia with normal or decreased phosphate?
Osteomalacia
Acute pancreatitis
Overhydration
Respiratory alkalosis
Symptoms of hypocalcaemia?
Perioral paraesthesia
Carpopedal spasm
Neuromuscular excitability- Chvostek’s + Trousseau’s
What is Chvostek’s sign?
Abnormal reaction due to stimulation of facial nerve due to existing nerve hyperexcitability in hypocalcaemia
What is Trousseau’s sign?
Carpopedal spasm caused by inflating the blood-pressure cuff to a level above systolic pressure for 3 minutes in hypocalcaemia
What is the treatment of mild and severe hypocalcaemia?
Mild- give calcium
Severe- 10% calcium gluconate IV
Causes of hypercalcaemia?
Dehydration
Primary or tertiary hyperparathyroidism
With raised ALP and phosphate- Bone mets, thyrotoxicosis + sarcoidosis
With normal ALP and raised phosphate- myeloma, excess vit D, sarcoid, milk alkali syndrome
Symptoms of hypercalcaemia?
Stones (renal) Bones (Pain) Groans (psych) Moans (abdo pain) Polyuria Muscle weakness
How do you treat hypercalcaemia?
Correct dehydration
Bisphosphonates
Correct cause e.g. chemo for cancer
What are the RFs for renal stones?
Dehydration
Abnormal urine PH (meat intake, renal tubular acidosis)
Increased excretion of stone constituents
Urine infection
Anatomical abnormalities
What are the common constituents of renal stones?
Calcium- mixed 45% Calcium oxalate 35% Calcium phosphate 1% Triple phosphate "Struvite" 10% Uric acid 5% Cysteine 1-2%
Which types of renal stones are radiolucent?
Uric acid
Cysteine
Which renal stones have a ‘staghorn’ appearance
Triple phosphate “Struvite”
What marker would be 10x upper limit of normal serum levels in acute pancreatitis?
Amylase
What is Creatine Kinase a marker of?
Muscle damage
Which creatine kinase is a marker of skeletal muscle damage and which is a marker of cardiac muscle damage?
CK-MM = skeletal muscle
CK-MB (1+2)= cardiac muscle
What causes raised CK levels physiologically?
Race- Afro-Caribbean
What causes raised CK levels pathologically?
DMD (>10x ULN)
MI (>10x ULN)
Statin myopathy
Rhabdomyolysis
Where is alkaline phosphatase high in concentrations?
Liver
Bone
Intestine
Placenta
What are the physiological causes of raised ALP?
Pregnancy (3rd trimester)
Childhood during growth spurt