Endocrinology Flashcards
What is the cause of acromegaly?
- Excessive secretion of growth hormone.
- Usually due to pituitary adenomas.
Symptoms of acromegaly?
- Hands and feet enlargement
- Coarse facial features
- Macroglossia
- Enlargement of jaw (prognathism)
- DM2
- Hypertension
- Headaches
- Sweating
What is the investigation done in acromegaly?
Initial test and for monitoring
- Insulin growth factor (IGF-1).
Confirmation of diagnosis
- Oral glucose test.
Others
- MRI scan of pituitary (adenomas).
What is the treatment of acromegaly?
- Trans-sphenoidal surgery
- GH receptor antagonist: Pegvisomant
- Somatostatin analogues: octreotide
- Radiotherapy
What is the physiology of Addison’s disease?
- AKA primary adrenal insufficiency;
- The adrenal gland (kidney) cannot produce adequate levels of cortisol (glucocorticoids) and aldosterone (mineralocorticoids) due to autoimmune destruction.
What is the cause of primary Addison’s disease?
- Autoimmune.
What are the symptoms of primary adrenal disease?
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Weight loss
- Postural hypotension
- Hyperpigmentation (due to ACTH raised)
- Salt cravings
- Hypoglycaemia
What are the investigations done in primary Addison’s disease?
- Electrolytes: Hyponatraemia & Hyperkalaemia.
- Early morning cortisol: low
- ACTH: high
- Synacthem / ACTH stimulation test: cortisol does not rise.
What is the cause of SECONDARY adrenal insufficiency?
- Hypothalamic and pituitary failure.
- Long term steroid medication (suspension of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis)
What is the investigation of secondary adrenal insufficiency?
- ACTH: low
- Cortisol (early morning): low
- ACTH stimulation test / Synacthem: cortisol does not rise.
DDx between:
- Addison’s disease (primary adrenal insufficiency)
- Secondary adrenal insufficiency
• Primary adrenal insufficiency
- Autoimmune destruction of adrenal gland, leads to low cortisol and low aldosterone.
- Low cortisol leads to negative feedback to the pituitary which leads to high levels of ACTH which leads to hyperpigmentation.
- Low aldosterone leads to hyponatraemia and hyperkalaemia.
• Secondary adrenal insufficiency
- Inadequate pituitary or hypothalamic stimulation, leads to low ACTH, which leads to low cortisol.
- Aldosterone levels are normal hence normal Na and K.
What is the DDx between:
- Conn’s syndrome
- Addison’s disease
Conn’s syndrome
- Hypernatraemia
- Hypokalaemia
- Hypertension
Addison’s disease
- Hyponatraemia
- Hyperkalaemia
- Hypotension
- Hypoglycaemia
What are the causes of Addisonian crisis?
- Withdrawal of chronic steroid therapy
- Infection or stress (corticosteroids needs will be raised)
What are the symptoms of Addisonian crisis?
- Shock: postural hypotension, tachycardia, oliguria
- Abdominal pain
- Hypoglycaemia
What are the investigations of Addisonian crisis?
- Cortisol
- ACTH levels
- Blood sugar
- FBC, U&Es, Cultures
What is the treatment of Addisonian crisis?
- IV hydrocortisone 100 mg
- IV fluids if shocked
- IV glucose if hypoglycaemia
- Improvement after 72h oral steroids
- If adrenal pathology identified: fludrocortisone.
What is the Rx for DM₂
?
First line:
- Metformin
Check HbA1c in 3-6 monthsIf HbA1c > 58 mmol/mol
- Reinforce lifestyle advice
- Add another drug.
If added cardiovascular risk:
- Metformin
AND
- SGLT-2 inhibitors
DM2
Describe the adjustements of biguanides in relation to kidney injury
.
Example:
Metformin
Renal imparment adjustments- eGFR < 45:
reduce dose- eGFR < 30:
discontinue
DM2
Describe the pharmacology
of SGLT-2 inhibitors (AKA gliflozins).
Example:
- Dapagliflozin
- Canagliflozin
- Empagliflozin
Benefits
- Cardioprotective
- Renal protective
- Weight loss
Risks
- DKA at moderately raised glucose (< 14 mmol/L).
DM2
Describe the pharmacology
of Sulphonylurea.
Example:
- Gliclazide
Risks
- Hypoglycaemia
- Weight gain
Not to be given to lorry, ambulance, heavy machinery drivers due to hypoglycaemia.
DM2
Describe the pharmacology
of DDP4 inhibitors (AKA sitagliptin).
Example:
- Sitagliptin
Risks
- Pancreatitis
DM2
Describe the pharmacology
of Pioglitazone.
Contraindicated in:
- Heart failure
- Bladder cancer
- Fractures (women)
Risks
- Weight gain
DM2
Describe the pharmacology
of Repaglinide.
Risks
- Hypoglycaemia
- Weight gain
- Avoid in liver disease
DDx between:
- Osteoporosis
- Paget’s disease
- Osteomalacia
Osteoporosis
Calcium: Normal
Phosphate: Normal
Alkaline phosphatase: Normal
Paget's disease
Calcium: Normal
Phosphate: Normal
Alkaline phosphatase: High
Osteomalacia
Calcium: Low
Phosphate: Low
Alkaline phosphatase: High
Define what is Conn's syndrome / primary hyperaldosteronism
?
Condition due to excessive production of aldosterone by the adrenal glands.
What are the symptoms of Conn's syndrome / primary hyperaldosteronism
?
- Hypertension: Due to ⬆︎ aldosterone ➝ hypernatraemia which causes water retention.
- Hypokalaemia: causes muscles weakness.
- Hypernatraemia
- Metabolic alkalosis
Aldosterone acts on the convulted tubules to:
- ↑ Na⁺ reabsortion
- ↑ K⁺ excretion
- ↑ H⁺ excretion
What is the cause of Conn's syndrome / primary hyperaldosteronism
?
- Adrenal adenoma
- Adrenal hyperplasia
- Adrenal carcinoma
What are the investigations done in Conn's syndrome / primary hyperaldosteronism
?
Renim - Aldosterone ratio
- Renim: low
- Aldosterone: High
CT scan / MRI
- Searching for adenomas, carcinomas, etc.
Renim is low because:
- The kidneys juxtaglomerular cells are responsible for sensing the BP coming to the kidneys.
- If the BP is low, they release renim
- Renim converts angioteninogem (produced by the liver) into angiotensin I
- Angiotensin 1 is then converted (in the lungs) into angiotensin 2 (by angiotensin converting enzymes)
- Angiotensin 2 acts on the adrenal gland to produce aldosterone increasing the BP ➝ lowering renim
.
What is the treatment of Conn's syndrome / primary hyperaldosteronism
?
Aldosterone antagonist:
- Spironolactone
Surgery:
- Adrenalectomy
Define what is Cushing's syndrome
?
Condition caused by prolongued exposure of endogenous or exogenous glucorticoids
leading to excessive cortisol on the body.
Describe the adrenal axis physiology
.
- Hypothalamus releases CRH hormone
- CRH acts on the anterior pituitary gland
-
Anterior pituitary releases
ACTH hormone
-
ACTH acts on the
adrenal gland
-
Adrenal gland releases
cortisol
-
Cortisol does the following:
◆ Inhibits the immune system;
◆ Inhibits bone formation;
◆ ⬆︎ blood glucose
◆ ⬆︎ metabolism
◆ ⬆︎ alertness - ⬆︎ Cortisol sends a negative feedback to the anterior pituitary and to the hypothalamus, and they ⬇︎ the production of their hormones.
What are the causes
of Cushings syndrome?
◉ ACTH dependent disease
◆ Cushings disease: Pituitary adenoma;
◆ Ectopic ACTH: small lung carcinoma
◉ Non-ACTH dependent
◆ Adrenal adenoma/carcinoma
◆ Exogenous steroids
What are the symptoms
of Cushings syndrome?
◆ Round face
◆ Buffalo hump
◆ Abdominal obesity
◆ Purple abdominal striae
◆ Muscle weakness
◆ Osteoporosis
◆ Depression and insomnia
How is the diagnosis
of Cushings syndrome done?
Investigations done to diagnose it.
1. 24h urinary free cortisol;
2. Dexamethasone suppression test (low dose).
Cushings syndrome
Explain how the low
dose dexa supression test is done and its clinical relevance
.
1. 1mg of Dexa is giving at midnight.
2. Cortisol (plasma) is measured the next day at 9 am.
➜ If positive for Cushings:
◆ 1mg of dexa won't be enough
to supress the hypothalamus (CRH) or the anterior pituitary (ACTH), as the body is used to ⬆︎ levels of cortisol.
➜ If negative for Cushings:
◆ Cortisol < 50 nmol/L.
◆ 1mg of dexa will be enough
to supress the hypothalamus and the anterior pituitary.
Cushings syndrome
After positive dexa supression test
(low dose), what is the next step?
◉ Differentiate the causes of Cushings by doing:
➜ High dose dexamethasone supression test.
Explain how the high
dose dexa supression test is done and its clinical relevance
.
◘ 8mg of dexa is administered.
➔ Cushing disease/pituitary adenoma:
◆ ACTH ⬇︎
◆ Cortisol ⬇︎
◆ 8 mg would supress the ACTH/adenoma
➔ Adrenal adenoma:
◆ ACTH ⬇︎
◆ Cortisol ⬆︎
◆ 8 mg would supress the pituitary but the source of the ↑ cortisol is on the kidney itself.
➔ Ectopic ACTH (lung carcinoma):
◆ ACTH ⬆︎
◆ Cortisol ⬆︎
◆ The source of the ↑ cortisol is elsewhere even though the pituitary is supressed.
Diabetes
Describe the Dawn phenomenom.
It is a rise in glucose levels in the early hours (2 - 8 AM) in diabetic patients.
Especially DM1.
Diabetes
What is the Rx of the Dawn phenomenom
?
⬆︎ night time dose of long acting insulin
.
What is the cause of diabetes insipidus
?
1. ⬇︎ production of ADH (antidiuretic hormone).
2. ⬇︎ response to ADH.
ADH is produced by the hypothalamus
and stored in the pitituitary
.
Diabetes insipidus
What is the function of ADH
(antidiuretic hormone)?
- Acts on the collecting ducts on the kidneys ⟶
Reabsportion of H₂O from urine
(urine becomes concentrated due to lack of water)
On diabetes insipidus:
- ⬇︎ ADH
- Prevents urine from becoming concentrating due to excessive water in urine
- Polyuria
(excessive amount of urine)
- Polydipsia
(thirst caused by blood being concentrated)
What are the symptoms of diabetes insipidus
?
- Polyuria: excessive amount of urine due to ⬆︎ water in the urine
- Polydipsia: thirst caused by blood being concentrated