Disorders of the thyroid gland Flashcards
How many lobes does the pituitary gland have?
two lobes
Where does the pituitary gland lie?
lies below the brain in the Sella Turcica
What is the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland derived from?
The anterior lobe (adenohypophysis) is derived from an invagination of the roof of the embryonic oropharynx
- Known as Rathke’s pouch.
What forms the pituitary stalk and what does it connect?
A notochordal projection forms the pituitary stalk
- Connects the gland to the brain and also the posterior lobe of the pituitary (neurohypophysis).
Describe the blood supply of the pituitary gland?
The pituitary gland has a dual blood supply.
- The first is via the long and short pituitary arteries
- The second is from the hypophyseal portal circulation.
This begins as a capillary plexus around the Arcuate nucleus of hypo to anterior
How were pituitary cell types orignally characterised?
classified by their staining characteristics with acidic (orange-G) and basic (aldehyde fuscin) dyes
Function of Prolactin
Breast milk production
- prolactin is an anterior pituitary hormone
Function of ADH
Water regulation
Function of oxytocin
Breast milk expansion
State the single word nomenclature for the following:
- LH/FSH
- GH
- TSH
- ACTH
Respectively:
Gonadotrophin
Somatotrophin
Thyrotrophin
Corticotrophin
Draw or describe the general feedback loop of the hypothalamic
- pituitary axis?
Hypo.= Tertiary
(Anterior) Pituitary = secondary
End organ = Primary
-ve feedback is induced by end organ hormones
State the 3 major clinical presentations of pituitary tumours?
- Hormone hypersecretion
- Space occupying lesion (tumours present in skull or cranial)
- Headaches
- Visual loss (field defect)
- Cavernous Sinus Invasion - Hormone deficiency states
- Interference with surrounding normal pituitary
State the syndrome of excess GH
Acromegaly
State the syndrome of excess ACTH
Cushing’s disease
State the syndrome of excess TSH
Secondary thyrotoxicosis
State the syndrome of excess LH/FSH
Non-functioning pituitary tumour
State the syndrome of excess PROLACTIN
Prolactinoma
Draw or describe the GH feedback loop of the hypothalamic
- pituitary axis?
Blue is inhibitory effect (somatostatin)
red is stimulatory effect (GHRH)
IGF-1 stimulates chondrocytes for bone growth,
but also induces -ve feedback (GH also does this too)
State the systemic effects of GH/IGF-1 excess?
- Acral enlargement
- spade like hands rings too small
- Inc shoe size
- macroglossia
- carpal tunnel syndrome - Increased skin thickness
- Increased sweating
- Skin tags and acanthosis nigricans
- Change appearance
- inter-dental spacing
- Visceral enlargement
- Metabolic Changes
- Impaired fasting glucose
- Impaired glucose tolerance
- Diabetes mellitus
- Insulin resistance
- Reduced total cholesterol
- Increased triglycerides
- Increased nitrogen retention
State 8 consequences of GH/IGF-1 excess?
Cardiomyopathy
Hypertension
Bowel Polyps
Colonic Cancer
Multinodular goiter
Hypogonadism
Arthropathy
OSA