Endocrinology Flashcards
What are the hormones released by the anterior pituitary?
- ACTH, adrenocotropic hormone
- PRL Prolaction
- GH Growth Hormone
- LH Luteinizing Hormone
- FSH Follicle-Stimulating Hormone
- TSH Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
What are the hormones released by the posterior pituitary?
- Anti-diuretic homone (ADH) vasopressin
- Oxytocin
What is the function of Oxytocin?
1 uterine contraction during delivery
2 enhances breast milk flow
3 behavior, memory, sperm transport
What is the function of LH (leutinizing hormone)?
-regulates gonadal function
What is the function of LH in men?
-stimulates testosterone production
What is the function of LH in women?
- stimulates estrogen and progesterone production from the ovary
- mid-menstrual cycle causes ovulation
When is LH increased in women?
-during the follicular phase
What is the function of Follicle-Stimulating hormone (FSH) in men?
-stimulates testicular growth
What is the function of FSH in females?
-develops ovarian follicle
What does prolactin stimulate?
-stimulates lactation in the postpartum period
What does Hyperprolactemia do in men?
- decreased testosterone synthesis
- decreased libido
- decreased spermatolgenesis
What does Hyperprolactemia do in women?
- hypogonadism
- anovulation
- amenorrhea
- infertility
What is the function of TSH?
-stimulates the thyroid to produce T3/T4
What does a pituitary adenoma do to pituitary function?
-most common cause of hypothalamic-pituitary disfunction
What are the types of pituitary adenoma?
-Prolactinomas are the most common
- Microadenoma < 1cm in diameter
- Macroadenoma > 1cm in dameter
What is the Tx for a pituitary adenoma?
- transsphenoial microsurgery
- radiation
- medical Tx: *Bromocriptine for prolactinoma
What is the most common cause of hyperprolactinemia?
-Prolactinoma (a pituitary adenoma)
What are the other causes of hyperprolactinemia?
- pregnancy
- hypothyroidism
- renal failure
- cirrhosis
- chronic nipple stimulation–nipple piercing
- drugs: OC, tycyclic antidepressants, cimetidine
What are the S/Sx of hyperprolactinemia?
Galactorrhea, Infertility (Galactorrhea is excessive or inapropriate production of milk)
—Male Gonadal dysfunction
erectable dysfunction
decreased libido
gynocomastia
–Female Gonadal dysfunction
oligomenorrhea
amenorrhea
What other things need to be ruled out when a lab of hyperprolactinemia is found?
- pregnancy
- hypothyroidism
- renal failure
- cirrhosis
How is a prolactinoma Dx?
MRI of pituitary and hypothalamus
What is the Tx for hyperprolactinemia?
1 Dopamine Agonists: initial choice
Bromocriptine* fatigue, N, dizziness
orthostatic hypotension
Capergoine : more potent, longer acting,
better tolerated
2 Surgery : transsphenoidal pituitary surgery
3 Radiation
When does Acromegaly occur?
occurs after the closure of epiphyses
When does Giantism?
occurs before the closure of epiphyses
What is the etiology of Acromegaly & Giantism?
-almost always due to a pituitary adenoma
What are the characteristics of Acromegaly & Giantism?
-Excessive growth of hands, feet, cranium, jaw internal organs
- increased glove/ring size, increased shoe width
- protrusion of the lower jaw
- increased hat size
What are the S/Sx of Acromegaly and Giantism?
- overgrowth of bone & soft tissue overgrowth
- doughy hands and moist handshake
- carpal tunnel syndrome : parathesias
- deeper voice
- facial features coarsen
- tooth space widens
- macroglossia
- hypertension
- cardiomegaly
- diabetes mellitius: insulin resistance
- headaches
What are the lab findings for Acromegaly and Giantism?
-evelvated GH > 10ng/ml
What are the radiographic/MRI findings with Acromegaly and Giantism?
-MRI will show pituitary tumor
What is the Tx for Acromegaly & Giantism?
- -surgery : transphenoidal pituitary microsurgery
- -medical : Octreotideespecially if acromegaly persists after surgery
- -Radiation
What are the 2 types of Dwarfism?
-Pituitary and Achondroplasia
What is pituitary dwarfism?
-short stature with proportional parts due to deficiency of growth hormone
What is Achondroplasia dwarfism?
- 70 % of dwarfism with limbs being disproportionally short compared to the trunk
- autosomal dominant disorder with a faulty allele
What is the height of a dwarf?
-adult height under 4 feet 10 inches
Where does ADH (vasopressin) originate?
-ADH/vasopressin is produced by the hypothalamus but is stored and secreted in the posterior pituitary gland
What are the effects of ADH/vasopressin?
- regulates the body’s retention of water by conserving water and concentrating the urine
- causes moderate vasoconstriction in high doses
What stimulates ADH/vasopressin?
-Angiotension II
What is the antagonist of ADH/vasopressin?
Ethanol
What is Diabetes Insipidus?
-deficiency of vasopressin causing increased thirst and large quantities of urine with low specific gravity
What is the Etiology of Diabetes Insipidus?
Vasopressin Deficiency**
What are the causes of vasopressin deficiency?
- tumor
- trauma
- infection
- last trimester of pregnancy
- renal failure
- pylonephritis
- myeloma
- potassium depletion
- sickle sell anemia
- sorgrens’s syndrome
- chronic hypercalemia
-Drug induced
What drugs cause vasopressin deficiency?
- Lithium**
- demeclocycline
- foscarnet
- methicillin
What are the S/Sx of Diabetes Insipidus?
- Intense thirst, especially for ice water
- Polyuria : 2-20L per day
- Dehydration
What are the Lab finding with Diabetes Insipidus?
- Hypernatremia
- Hyperuricemia
How is Diabetes Insipidus Dx?
- MRI
- Vasopressin Challenge Test
What is the differential for polyuria?
- Cushing’s syndrome
- steroid Tx
- lithium
- Parkinson’s Disease
What is the Tx for Diabetes Insipidus?
Desmopressin
What is SIADH?
Syndrome of Inappropriate Antidiuretic Hormone (caused by excess Vasopression/ADH)
What causes SIADH?
excess vasopressin
What is the etiology of SIADH? What causes excessive vasopressin/ADH?
Ectopic production of vasopression (cancer)
What are the type of cancer that cause the Ectopic production of vasopression?
- Bronchogenic carcinoma
- carcinoma of duodenum
- carcinoma of pancreas
- uterine carcinoma
- prostate cancer
- bladder cancer
Which drugs induce SIADH?
- Desmopression
- oxytocin
- carbamazepine
- ecstasy
- SSRI
- TCA’s
- MAOI
What pulmonary disorders cause SIADH?
- pneumonia
- Tuberculosis
What are the Clinical Criteria for SIADH?
- increased sodium excretion
- increased osmolality
- Inappropriate concentrations of the urine
- Clinical euvolemia
What are the S/Sx of SIADH?
**Hyponatremia*
What is the Tx for SIADH?
- Discontinue hypotonic fluids
- restriction of free water
- Hypertonic NaCl (3%0
- IV Conivaptan (Vaprisol) : blocks the effects of vasopressin of the V2 receptor agonists in the kidney
What is the etiology of Grave’s Disease?
Grave’s disease is autoimmune (90%) causing the thyroid to produce too much T4
What type of disorder is Graves’ Disease?
- hyperthyroidism
- autoimmune disorder with autoantibodies to TSH receptors
What are the other conditions associated with Graves’ Disease?
- pernicious anemia
- myasthenia gravis
- diabetes mellitus
- Addison’s disease
- celiac diseas
What are the Lab findings for hyperthyroidism?
- Decreased TSH
- increased T4
- increased receptor antibody
- increased antithyrogrobulin
- increased ANA
- increased anti-double stranded DNA
- Radioactive iodine uptake and scan show high uptake
What are the symptoms of Graves’ Disease?
- heat intolerance
- sweating
- weight loss
- increased appetite
- nervousness
- loose stools
- frequent urination
- muscle cramps
- irritability
- fatigue
- weakness
- dyspnea on exertion
What are the signs of Grave’s Disease?
- Eye
- thyroid
- cardiac
- M/S
- Skin
What are the Eye PE finding with Graves’ Disease?
- exophthalmos
- chemosis
- conjunctivis
- proptosis
What are the thyroid PE findings with Grave’s Disease?
-goiter (enlarged thyroid) with bruit
What are the cardiac PE findings with Graves’ Disease?
- palpitations
- sinus tachy
- Atrial Fibrillation
What are the M/S physical exam findings with Graves’ disease?
- fine resting tremor
- hyperreflexia
What are the skin PE findings in Graves’ Disease?
- warm moist skin
- fine hair
- onycholysis (separation of the nail from the nail bed
What is the Tx for Graves’ disease?
- B-Blockers control symptoms
- Thiourea drugs (agranulocytosis)
- Methimazole
- Propylthiouracil–drug of choice in pregnancy and breast feeding women
-Radioactive iodine is preferred to surgery for permanent control (not in pregnancy)
-Surgery- larger goiters, malignancy
(often caused hypothyroidism)
What is the etiology of Hypothyroidism (Myxedma)?
- Hashimoto’s throiditis
- Thyroid surgery
- radiation therapy
What are the S/Sx of Myxedema (Hypothyroidism)?
- Fatigue*
- lethargy
- anorexia
- constipation
- depression
- muscle stiffness
- memory impairment
- cold intolerance
- dry skin
- weakness
- weight gain
- **hoarseness**
What are the Lab findings in Myxedema (hypothyroidism)?
- elevated TSH
- decreased T3/T4
- anemia
What is the lab finding in Hashimoto’s ?
+ antithyroid peroxidase and antithyroglobulin antibidies
What is the Tx for Myxedema/hypothyroidism?
-Levothyroxine
Describe how thyroid cancer is characterized?
painles mass : “Cold Nodule”* on scan
What are the 4 types of thyroid cancer?
1 Papillary
2 Follicular
3 Medullary Carcinoma
4 Anaplastic Carcinoma
How prevalent is Papillary cancer of the thyroid?
- 76% of thyroid cancers
Which is the least aggressive of the thyroid cancer?
-Papillary thyroid cancer is least aggressive
What percentage of thyroid cancers is Follicular?
-16%
What percentage of thyroid cancers are Medullary Carcinoma?
-4% are medullary carcinoma of the thyroid
What factors are unique to Medullary Carcinoma of the thyroid?
- 1/2 is familial
- associated with MEN type 2 (hereditary condition associated with three primary types of tumors: medullary thyroid cancer, parathyroid tumors, and pheochromocytoma)
Describe Anaplastic Carcinoma?
- 1% of all thyroid carcinomas are Anaplasica
- Most aggressive of all thyroid carcinomas
- Worse prognosis
What is Thyrotoxic Crisis also known as?
-Thyroid Storm
Is Thyrotoxic Crisis/Thyroid Storm serious?
-it is life threatening
What are 3 times that Thyroid Storm/Thyrotoxic Crisis occurs?
1 following a stressful event
2 thyroid surgery
3 radioactive iodine
What are the S/Sx of Thyroid Storm/Thyrotoxic Crisis?
- high fever
- tachycardia
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- dehydration
- marked weakness
- muscle wasting
- extreme restlessness
- comfusion & emotional lability
What is the Tx for Thyroid Storm/Thyrotoxic Crisis?
- Beta Blockers
- Hydrocortisone
- supportive therapy
What secretes Calcitonin?
-calcitonin is secreted by the parafollicular C cells in the thyroid
What are the effects of Calcitionin?
- Decreases serum calcium*
- does this by inhibiting osteoclastic bone resorption
What cancer conditions is a Lab draw for Calcitonin important?
calcitonin is an important tumor marker in medullary carcinoma of the thyroid?
What are the therapeutic uses of calcitonin as an inhibitor of osteoclastic bone resorption?
- Paget’s disease of the bone
- Hypercalcemia
- Osteoporosis
What are the effects of Parathyroid Hormone (PTH)?
- increases serum calcium*
* decreases serum phosphorus*
What 3 organs does PTH effect?
- Bone
- Intestinal mucosa
- Kidney
What is the effect of PTH on Bone?
-releases calcium and phosporus
What is the effect of PTH on the Intestinal Mucosa?
-increases calcium reabsorption
What is the effect of PTH on the Kidney?
- increases production of Vitamin B
- increases reabsorption of calcium
- decreases reabsorption of phosphate & bicarbonate
What is Hyperparathyroidism?
-the excessive secretion of PTH producing frank hypercalcemia
Is hyperparathyroidism seen more in men or women?
2-3 x more common in women
What is the etiology of hyperparathyroidism?
- single parathyroid adenoma (8%)
- hyperplasia (15%)
What are the complaints of patient symptomatic with hyperparathyroidism?
bones, stones, abdominal groans, psychic moans, & fatigue overtones
What are the body areas that are characteristically effected most by hyperparathyroidism?
- bone loss
- kidney disease
- psychic disturbances
- abdominal symptoms
- cardiac
Are people with hyperparathyroidism symptomatic or asymptomatic?
-most are symptomatic
What are the bone S/Sx of in hyperparathyroidism?
- bone pain & pathologic Fx’s, increased ALP*
- osteoporosis