Endo and Neuro Mixed (from glossary)

Question 1

What are alpha glucosidase inhibitors?

Answer 1

Drugs used to reduce rate of oligosaccharide absorption in the gut, to help with DM. Sold as acarbose.

Question 2

What is the difference between Cushing’s disease and Cushing’s syndrome?

Answer 2

Disease –> excess steroid hormone due to excessive pituitary secretion of corticotrophin.
Syndrome –> excess steroid hormone from adrenal cortex due to variety of causes.

Question 3

Define ectopic

Answer 3

From or in an abnormal site.

Question 4

What are fibrates?

Answer 4

A class of drugs which are used to treat dyslipidaemia.

Question 5

What is Hashimoto’s disease?

Answer 5

Chronic inflammation of the thyroid gland due to the formation of thyroid antibodies. Antibodies against the peroxidase enzyme are produced which can be used clinically for diagnosis.

Question 6

Define hypopituitarism.

Answer 6

A deficiency of one or several pituitary hormones. Pan-hypopituitarism denotes deficiency of all pituitary hormones.

Question 7

What does intracrine mean?

Answer 7

A hormone with acts inside a cell to control intracellular events.
Synthesised from precursor within effector cell, e.g. dihydrotestosterone is formed from testosterone within the effector cells of the prostate.

Question 8

What is macroalbuminuria?

Answer 8

Albumin excretion is excess of 300mg/day.

Question 9

What is microalbuminuria?

Answer 9

Albumin excretion of 30-300mg/day, representing early nephropathy especially in type 2 DM. Minute amounts of albumin are lost in healthy individual’s urine daily.

Question 10

What is a primary hormonal deficiency or excess?

Answer 10

One where the change is due to an abnormality in the endocrine gland itself.

Question 11

What is a secondary hormonal deficiency or excess?

Answer 11

The change is due to another cause. For example, hypocalcaemia can cause secondary hyperparathyroidism, when the PTH concentration elevation is appropriate to the ambient calcium levels.

Question 12

What is Simmonds’s disease?

Answer 12

Adenohypophysis failure due t benign pituitary tumours.

Question 13

What is synacthen?

Answer 13

Artificial ACTH used in the assessment of adrenocortical function.

Question 14

What is a tertiary hormonal deficiency or excess?

Answer 14

Condition arising when persistent increased hormone production is maintained and becomes inappropriate after the initial defect is corrected.

Question 15

What is thionamide?

Answer 15

A pharmacological agent used in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis.

Question 16

Define commissure

Answer 16

A bundle of axons linking two sides of CNS.

Question 17

Define decussation

Answer 17

Crossing over of bundles of axons in the midline.

Question 18

What is the difference between heteronymous and homonymous?

Answer 18

Heteronymous relates to different parts of the visual field in each eye.
Homonymous relating to the same part of the visual field in each eye.

Question 19

What is the term given to the condition in which only objects far from the eye are in focus?

Answer 19

Hyperopia (as opposed to myopia)

Question 20

What is hyperalgesia?

Answer 20

Reduced threshold or increased response to painful stimuli.

Question 21

What does somatotopic mean?

Answer 21

The orderly representation of the body parts in the CNS.

Question 22

Contrast sign and symptom.

Answer 22

Sign: abnormality observed by the clinician, independent of the observation of the patient.
Symptom: abnormality observed by the patient and reported to the physician.