Endocrine Flashcards
How should pheochromocytoma be treated prior to surgery?
Alpha-blocker (e.g. phenoxybenzamine, nonselective and irreversible) 7-14d before - beta-blocker alone could lead to hypertensive crisis due to unopposed alpha stimulation
Patient encouraged to increase sodium and water intake due to side effect of alpha blockade
Propranolol 2-3d before surgery
Carcinoid syndrome - signs and treatment
Signs: flushing, diarrhea, elevated 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid
Treatment: Somatostatin analog (e.g. octreotide)
Papillary thyroid cancer - primary treatment
Surgical resection - smaller tumors may only require partial thyroidectomy/lobectomy
Adjuvant radioiodine ablation, thyroid hormone replacement - for those with increased risk of tumor recurrence
Calcitonin is marker for which thyroid cancer?
Medullary - arises from parafollicular C cells
(Papillary and follicular arise from epithelial cells)
In absence of infection, what is likely causing persistent fever, tachycardia, and HTN in patient with severe burns?
Hypermetabolic response
Hypermetabolic response to burns - treatment
- Burn excision and grafting (to decrease inflammation)
- Beta blockers (to decrease catecholamine effects)
- Nutrition, anabolic steroids (to minimize lean muscle mass loss)
- Insulin (to control hyperglycemia)
Which thyroid cancer has calcitonin?
Medullary - it is made by C cells
What paraneoplastic syndrome is associated with thymoma?
Myasthenia gravis
What should be done for patient in adrenal crisis?
IV dexamethasone or hydrocortisone + aggressive volume repletion
What are the thyroid parafollicular cells?
These are the neuroendocrine C cells that secrete calcitonin
They are in medullary thyroid cancer
Surveil with calcitonin levels
Signs of medullary thyroid cancer
Asymptomatic but may have some diarrhea and flushing
Calcium usually normal unless part of MEN2A hyperparathyroidism
Risk of metastasis and surveillance can both be assessed with calcitonin levels
Also measure carcinoembryonic antigen
What protooncogene is associated with MEN2?
RET
MEN1
- Parathyroid
- Pituitary
- Pancreas (enteropancreatic endocrine cell tumor)
What cancers use thyroglobulin as a cancer marker?
Papillary and follicular differentiated thyroid cancers
MEN2
- Medullary thyroid cancer
- Pheochromocytoma
- A: Hyperparathyroidism; B: marfanoid habitus + mucosal neuromas
Describe testicular cancer appearance on scrotal ultrasound
Seminoma - solid, hypoechoic
Nonseminomatous germ cell tumor - cystic areas and calcifications
What does PTH do?
Increases calcium mobilization from bone
Decreases phosphate reabsorption at proximal tubule
How does CKD lead to hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia?
Decreased vitamin D conversion
Decreased filtration of phosphate
Secondary parathyroidism and chronic parathyroid stimulation can lead to parathyroid hyperplasia and tertiary parathyroidism due to autonomous PTH secretion, due to downregulation of calcium-sensing receptor and vitamin D receptor in parathyroid glands
At this point, you would see very high PTH, hypercalcemia, and hyperphosphatemia
What bone observation on x-ray is highly specific for elevated PTH?
Subperiosteal resorption
How to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism?
Reducing serum phosphorus (e.g. dietary phosphate restriction, phosphate binders
Overtreatment –> adynamic bone disease, low bone turnover
Undertreatment –> osteitis fibrosa cystica, high bone turnover
Homocystinuria - common signs
- Lens dislocation
- Intellectual disability
- Marfanoid features
- Increased risk of arterial and venous thrombi
Hypocalcemia symptoms
- Muscle spasms
- Hyperreflexia
- Paresthesias
Reversible causes of atrial fibrillation
- Hyperthyroidism
- Mitral valve disease
Primary adrenal insufficiency
Fatigue, malaise, weakness, weight loss
GI symptoms
Hypotension:
Aldosterone deficiency –> volume depletion, hyperkalemia, hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis
Cortisol deficiency –> loss of vascular tone
Increased secretion of ADH –> water retention, hyponatremia
Skin hyperpigmentation (cosecretion of melanocyte-stimulating hormone with ACTH)
Euthyroid sick syndrome - labs
Early: Low T3, normal T4 and TSH
Late: Low everything else
During recovery, patients may experience modest, transient increase in TSH that can be misinterpreted as subclinical hypothyroidism (elevated TSH, normal thyroxine levels)