Endocrine disorders Flashcards
Describe the HPA axis
HPA axis
- FSH and LH are hormones in reproductive pituariary
- act on ovary
- LH acts on theca cells → these make androgens
- peak in LH mid-cycle causes ovulation
- androgens produced get to oestrogen in granulosa cells
- oestrogen feeds back to pituitary
You have negative and positive feedback in this cucle
as you produce more oestrogen it dampens down FSH and LH
what happens if you give continous GnRH
- you suppress FSH and LH
- supresses ovulation
- gove opportunity to give exogenous FSH and control teh growth of follicles without the risk of sponetonous ovulation
would use a GnRH agonsist
Whats the difference between central and gondal pathlogies
- Central pathology
- piruariatry gland and cerebal thing
- Lack of secretion of LH and FSH
- hypo hypothalamic and gonadal
- get no oestrogen → so no cycle
- hypo hypothalamic and gonadal
- Hypothalamic/pituitary disease
- Gonadal damage (secondary)
- Failure of germ cell production
- Lack of sex steroid production
- like oestrogen, failure of ovaries
Central and gondal can be congenital or acquired
What are the causes of ammonhera
- Pregnancy – always exclude
- make sure to always check
- Central causes
- Hypothalamic - weight loss (anorexia), excessive exercise, stress
- problems with FSH, LH
- Pituitary – hyperprolactinaemia (lactation), pituitary tumours
- can be life-threatening if it affects the eyes
- Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (failure of LH, FSH secretion)
- Hypothalamic - weight loss (anorexia), excessive exercise, stress
- Ovarian causes
- Turner’s syndrome (45 X0)
- Premature ovarian failure
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- common cause outside of pregnancy
- Miscellaneous – thyrotoxicosis, chronic disease, local uterine problems
What are the causes of hypothalamic amenorrohea and why are the presentations differeng
anoxeria, excerise, bulimia
- people have different baslines when they get amenorrhea
- there’s a cut of when pituarity gland gets cut off
What is lepin
how does it work etc
-Leptin is a peptide hormone released by adipocytes
-Regulates appetite, neuroendocrine function, and energy homeostasis
What is congential leptin defieceny
signs
severe obesity, hyperphagia, hypogonadotropic, hypogonadism
leptin levels fall, food intake foes up, energy expenditure goes down, and reproductive function decreases
What is prolactin
hormone that stimulates lactation
what inhibits prolactin
dophamine
In women that need to breastfeed, what medication can we give to promote this
be given dopamine antagonist to try and promote lactation
When does prolactin levels increase
- Physical or psychological
- breast examination, after exercise
- Post seizure
- Greater increase in women
- reference range for women is different
- if its very high the investigate
- PRL peaks during sleep
- Rarely exceeds 850-1000 mU/L
Clinical features of hyperprolactinaemia
pre menopausal women
- Hypogonadism
- Oligo/amenorrhoea
- symptoms of estrogen deficiency – associated problems
- vaginal dryness etc
- Galactorrhoea – spontaneous/expressible from breas
Clinical features of hyperprolactinaemia
Post menopausal women
Due to hypogonadal status – they dont get the same features as premenopausal women
what can prolactin inhibit
Prolactin inhibits LH & FSH.
So if you have high PRL you will have decreased FSH & LH & Oestrogen/Testosterone production – end up hypogonadal
What is patholgical hyperprolcatnima caused by
Can be due to:
PRL-secreting pituitary tumours - prolactinomas
-Microadenomas (< 1 cm diameter)
-Macroadenomas (≥ 1 cm diameter)
Loss of inhibitory effect of hypothalamus-derived DA (dopamine agonist)
-This is due to Pituitary stalk compression/pituitary disconnection
Drugs – DA antagonists
-Phenothiazines, metoclopramide, TCAs, verapamil
Hyperthyroidism
-Increase in TRH ->increase TSH which can then increase prolactin.
How can we treat patholgical hyperproclatneima
Dopamine agonists to supress PRL, Surgery (to remove pituitary tumour)
What is meant by premature ovarian insuffuicency
when ovaries cannot function well
How do people with POI present
- Amenorrhoea
- Oestrogen deficiency
- Elevated LH, FSH (>30 IU/L) all < 45 years of age
- FSH of 25 would be concerned
- must always repeat after 6-week intervals
- don’t do this test over age of 45
What are the causes of POI
-Turners -> congential
- Autoimmune (nb thyroid, Addisons, diabetes)
- Iatrogenic – chemotherapy and radiotherapy, surgery
- Mutations in FSH receptor, galactosaemia, FMR1 gene premutation (fragile X→ more disposed to this deficiency, can get bigger down generations)
Tuners
symptoms
what is it
1:2500 live births 45XO
symptoms
- Short stature and gonadal dysgenesis (streak ovaries)
- Webbed neck,
- cubitus valgus,
- congenital heart disease,
- hypothyroidism
- lymphoedema
- gains weight easily
How can autoimmune conditions cause POI
- mechanism of autoimmune POI is likely to be due to inflammatory infiltration of follicles and production of anti ovarian Ab,
- this may cause apoptosis and atrophy
- sharing of auto antigens between the ovary and adrenals may explain the link with POI and Addison’s
egg frezzing-> addisons
POI -> precedes addiosns by 8-14 years