Endocrine System Flashcards
Other terms for
- Anterior pituitary
- Posterior pituitary
- Adenohypophysis
2. Neurohypophysis
What 2 hormones does the posterior pituitary release
ADH and oxytocin
What hormones does the anterior pituitary release
GH TSH ACTH FSH LH PRL
Clinical features of pituitary tumors
- Prolactinoma
- Somatotropic adenoma
- Corticoadenoma
- Amenorrhea and galactorrhea
- Acromegaly or gigantism
- Cushing disease (too much ACTH)
Sheehan’s syndrome
Acute postpartum pituitary insufficiency due to ischemia related postpartum pituitary necrosis
Panhypopituitarianism
Condition of inadequate or absent production of the anterior pituitary hormones
Shows general weakness, cold intolerance, poor appetite, weight loss, hypotension
Diabetes insipidus
Lack of antidiuretic hormone
Polyuria
Caused by: tumors, infection of brain or meninges, intracranial hemorrhage, trauma of bones at base of skull or transection of pituitary stalk
Hyperthyroidism
Excess of free thyroid hormones in the blood
Graves’ disease
Autoantibodies (IgG) to the TSH receptor on the surface of thyroid follicular cells
More often seen in women
Idiopathic nodular hyperplasia, adenoma, or exogenous thyroid medication
Symptoms: hyperactive, heat intolerance, bulging eyes, tachycardia, etc)
Goiter of thyroid
Causes: iodine deficiency, idiopathic
Consists of nodules that enlarge and deform the thyroid
Secondary changes include calcification, hemorrhage, and atrophy
Most are nontoxic - no increased TSH
Symptoms (hoarseness and cough) are due to the compression of the larynx
Iodine deficiency
Most common nutritional cause of hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism clinical features
children vs adults
In children, results in dwarfism and mental retardation (cretinism)
In adults, causes puffy skin, bradycardia, constipation, cold intolerance, muscle weakness
4 thyroid malignant tumors
Papillary: majority, low grade with favorable prognosis
Follicular: relatively good prognosis
Medullary: can produce calcitonin
Anaplastic: rare, and most patients die within 1 year
C cells
Secrete calcitonin
Found between follicles of the thyroid
Calcitonin
Reduces blood calcium
Produced by C cells of the thyroid
Causes of primary vs secondary hyperparathyroidism
P: parathyroid hyperplasia or neoplasia
S: chronic renal failure
4 consequences of hyperparathyroidism
- Stones (renal stones)
- Bones (bone resorption)
- Mones (psychiatric manifestations)
- Groans (stomach ulcers)
Parathryoid hormone causes bone resorption, which indirectly stimulates calcium absorption in intestine. Resulting hypercalcemia causes 1, 3, 4
Cushing’s syndrome vs Cushing disease
Syndrome: hypercortisolism - just to do with the adrenals
Disease: too much ACTH - brain problem
Clinical features of Cushin’s syndrome
Moon face Obesity Cutaneous striae Emotional instability Buffalo hump Osteoporosis Muscle wasting
Addison’s disease
Chronic adrenal insufficiency
Caused by autoimmune diseases, tumors, TB, amylodosis
Symptoms: fatigue, weight loss, nausea, hypotension, frequent syncope, susceptibility to recurrent infections
Pheochromocytoma
Adults, mostly benign but malignant in 10%
Vanillymandelic acid (VMA) found in urine and important for diagnosis
Present with malignant hypertension
Get episodic heart palpitations because the tumor can pulse release epi and NOR
Neuroblastoma
More common in children Large tumor Stromal cells Malignant Easy to palpate
Acromegaly vs giantism
Both caused by somatotropic adenoma (a pituitary tumor)
Acromegaly is pospubertal
Giantism is prepubertal
