Endocrinology Flashcards
WHAT IS ACROMEGALY?
What is it caused by?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54h3IUbvHDU
Too much growth hormone from the pituitary gland
Tumour
or hyperplasia
What does the hypothalamus release? What does this cause? In acromegaly
Release growth hormone releasing hormone
Stimulates pituitary to release growth hormone
Somatostatin (growth hormone inhibiting hormone)
Decrease growth hormone release from pituitary
What do gigantism and acromegaly involve?
Increase in growth hormone
What is the difference between gigantism and acromegaly?
Difference in when growth hormone is released
When does gigantism occur?
Before the closure of the epiphyseal plates
End up very tall
When does acromegaly occur?
After epiphyses fuse
Not tall
At what age does acromegaly start?
At 20-40
What are the symptoms of acromegaly?
Go through each topic RS etc
RS
Snoring
GI
“Wonky bite” (malocclusion)
Int
↑Sweating
Endo
↑Weight
UG
↓libido; amenorrhoea
MSK
Arthralgia; backache
Neuro
Acroparaesthesia; headache
What are the signs of acromegaly?
Skin darkening
Acanthosis nigricans
Face
Big supraorbital ridge
Interdental separation
Macroglossia
Prognathism
Laryngeal dyspnoea
Spade-like hands and feet
Tight rings
Carpal tunnel syndrome
What are the complications of acromegaly?
- *Impaired glucose tolerance** (40%)
- *Diabetes Mellitus** (15%)
Vascular
HTN
LVH
Cardiomyopathy
Arrhythmias
Colon cancer
How can you diagnose acromegaly?
IGF-1 (somatomedin) tells tissues to grow
Elevated
Glucose tolerance test
75g or glucose
Wait 90 mins measure growth hormone levels
Will stay elevated! Should decrease
Growth hormone levels
Not usually used becaue pulsatile
CT or MRI
Could be no tumour, could be ectopic source
What is the treatment of acromegaly?
Trans-sphenoidal Surgery
Radiation
Medications - suppress GH
Somatostatin anaologues
Octreotide
Recombinant GH receptor antagonist
Pegvisomant
WHAT IS PROLACTINOMA?
WHAT IS CUSHING SYNDROME?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea1sXgd5ui8
Endocrine disorder with elevated cortisol levels in the blood
What is the cause of cushings DISEASE?
Pituitary adenoma making excess ACTH
What does the hypothalamus secrete in cushing’s?
Corticotropin releasing hormone
What does CRH stimulate?
Pituitary gland to release adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH)
What does ACTH do?
Affects cells in the adrenal cortex of the adrenal glands
What is the outer layer of the adrenal glands split into?
Zona glomerulosa
Zona fasiculata
Zona reticularis
What is the zona festiculata?
Largest zone
Stimulate cells in this zone to secrete cortisol
Cortisol is a glucocorticoids
What are glucocorticoids not?
What are they bound to?
How much is free in the blood?
Soluble in water
Cortisol-binding globulin
Only 5% free in blood
Less than that is active
What happens to excess free cortisol?
Filtered in kidneys and put into urine
What is free cortisol involved in?
(Type of cycle)
Part of circadian rhythm
High in moring
Low at night
So if there is a problem with cortisol levels what would this lead to?
Problems with circadian rhythm
What happens to cortisol during stress?
What does it do?
(type of process)
Increaes
Increase gluconeogenesis
Increase lipolysis
Increase proteolysis
How does cortisol maintain blood pressure?
Increase sensitivity of peripheral blood vessels to catecholamines
Adrenaline and noradrenaline
This narrows the blood vessel lumen
What does cortisol do to the immune response?
Decereases the production and release of inflamatory medaitors
Prostaglandins and interleukins
Inhibiting T-lymphcytes
What is cortisol involved with in the brain?
Mood and memory
How does the body keep control of cortisol?
Negative feedback mechanisms
Decrease production of CRH and ACTH
Less CRH causes less ACTH too
What does excess cortisol lead to?
Overload of what it normally reacts with
Severe muscle, bone and skin breakdown
Hypertension
Inhibit gonadotropin releasing hormone from hypothalamus
Dampens inflammatory response
More susceptible to infections
Impair normal brain function
What does elevated breakdown of muscle, bone and skin cause?
(What does this produce)
Elevated blood glucose
High insulin levels
Targets adipocytes in center of body
Activates lipoprotein lipase
Accumulate more fat molecules
Cause
Moon face
Buffalo neck hump
How is hypertension caused by excess cortisol?
Amplifies effect of catecholamines on blood vessels
Cortisol cross reacts with mineralcorticoid recptors
Mineralcorticoids released from zona glomerulosa
Triggers mineralcorticoid effect which is increasing blood pressure by retaining fluid
ALDOSTERONE
What does the inhibition of gonadotropin releasing hormone do?
Messes up ovarian and testicualr function
What are the causes of Cushing’s?
Exogenous cortisol
Medications (steroids)
Endogenous
Pituitary adenoma
Cushing disease
Cells don’t invade other tissues
Small cell lung cancer
ACTH
Tumour of the adrenal glands
Adrenal carciomas
Adrenal adenoma
Why do steroids cause Cushing’s?
Structure very similar to cortisol
Mimics action on tissue
Negative feedback on hypothamus and pituitary
How do the steroids affect the zona fesiculata?
Causes it to shrink in size
Because of lack of stimulation
How does a pituitary adenoma cause a rise in cortisol?
Causes the pituitary gland to secrete more ACTH
This affects the zona fasiculata
Causing it to grow in size
Secrete excess cortisol
What does a tumour on one adrenal gland do?
Divide abnormally and secrete excess cortisol
Suppress CRH and ACTH production
Other gland shrinks
What are the symptoms of Cushing’s?
Muscle wasting and thin extemities
Easy brusing
Abdominal striae
Fractues - osteoporisis
Full moon shaped face
Buffalo hump
Truncal obesity
Hypergylcemia
Diabetes mellitius
Hypertension
Cardiovascular disease risk
Increase vulnerability to infections
Poor wound healing
Amenorrhea
Psychiatric
What is the diangosis of Cushing’s?
ENDOGENOUS
Dexamethasone suppresion test
Low dose of dexamethasone (steroid)
Supressess ACTH production
Should cuase decrease cortisol levels
24 urine sample
Measuring free cortisol
Blood or saliva tests
Normal daily rise and fall of cortisol
What is the next stage after dexamethosone supression test?
ACTH plasma levels checked
Low ACTH gives diagnosis of
Adrenal adenomas and carcinoma
High ACTH gives diagnosis of
Cushing disease and ectopic ACTH production
What is the next stage if there is a high ACTH?
Injection of high amount of dexamethasone
Ectopic sites won’t respond
What types of imaging can be used?
MRI of pituitary
CT of adrenals
CT of chest abdomen or pelvis for ectopic
What is the treatment for Cushing’s?
Exogenous
Drug is gradually stopped
Adrenal crisis if too fast
Adrenal glands might be atrophied
Endogenous
Surgery
Adrenal steroid inhibitors
Ketoconazole and metyrapone
Most useful ectopic
What are you at risk of if you have your adrenals removed?
Nelson’s syndrome
Skin pigmentation increase
WHAT IS SYNDROME OF INAPPROPRIATE SECRETION OF ADH?
(Start with what it results in)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NHT8ERUBo0
Hyponatremia and hypo-osmolality
From inappropriate, continued secretion of ADH
Despite normal or increased plasma volume
Which results in impaired water excretion
What hormone controls water retention in the body?
What is it also called?
What does it also do?
ADH (vasopressin)
Also contricts arteries
What happens with the different levels of ADH?
More gives more water retention
Less gives less water retention
Where does ADH have its action on the nephron?
Distal convoluted and the collecting duct
What are the channels called that move into the membranes in the nepheron?
Aquaporins
What happens to the plasma osmolality when water is drunk?
Drops
What part of the body controls water regualtion?
Hypothalamus
What does the hypothalamus signal?
Pituitary
What does the pituitary do?
Decrease ADH
Less water retention
Increase osmolality
What happens if ADH continues to be secreted even if the plasma osmolality is low?
Increase aquaporins and increased water retention
Dilutes blood
Which dilutes sodium and also takes up more space
What does this taking up of more space cause to happen(hormone)?
Decrease aldosterone
What does the decrease in aldosterone do?
Excretes more sodium
This makes water follows
However end up with a very low sodium osmolality
Leading to SIADH
What are the different types of SIADH?
Type A
Type B
Type C
Type D
What is type A SIADH?
Erratic
Independent of plasma osmolality
Massive increase of ADH
Massive increase of urine osmolality
What is type B SIADH?
Constant release of ADH
What is type C of SIADH?
Baseline concentration of sodium is low
But is stable
What is type D SIADH?
ADH normal
Massive increase in urine osmolality
What are the symptoms caused by in SIADH?
Derived from decreased sodium in the blood
What are the symptoms of SIADH?
Dehydration
Headaches
Nausea
Vomiting
Muscle cramps
Cerebral oedema, Confusion, Mood swings
Seizure, Coma, Death
What is the diagnosis of SIADH?
Symptoms and lab results
Blood
Low sodium and low osmolality
Urine
High urine osmolality and high sodium
What causes SIADH?
Infection
Strokes
Haemorrhage
MS
Drugs
Mood stabilizers
Anti-epileptics
Surgery
Increased ADH secretion
Ectopic ADH
Small cell lung cancer
What is the treatment for SIADH?
Treat underlying cause
Restrict daily intake of fluid
High salt and protein diet
Inhibit ADH secretion drugs
Tolvaptan
Hypertonic IV fluids
THYROID DISORDERS?
What are the hormones produced by the thyroid gland?
Triiodothyronine (T3)
Active version x5 more
Thyroxine (T4)
What do the thyroid hormones do?
Burn foods
Stimulates sympathetic nervous system
GI motility
Increase heart rate
Increase blood pressure
Temperature
What does the hypothalamus release?
TRH
What does the pituitary release?
TSH
WHAT IS HYPOTHYROIDISM?
Low production of thyroid hormones
What is primary and secondary hypothyroidism?
Primary is a reduction in thyroxin (T4)
Secondary is a reduction in TSH
What are the causes of primary hypothyroidism?
Primary atrophic hypothyroidism (No goitre)
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (Goitre)
Iodine deficiency
Post-thyroidectomy / radioiodine / antithyroid drugs
Lithium / amiodarone
What are the causes of secondary hypothyroidism?
Hypopituitarism
WHAT IS HASHIMOTO’s THYROIDITIS?
(inside hypothyroidism)
Autoimmune disease
What are the antibodies in hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
TRAbs = TSH receptor antibodies
Anti-Tg = Thyroglobulilin antibodies
TPOAb = Thyroperoxidase antibodies
What is the epidemology of hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
Older Women
What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism?
RS
Hoarse voice
GI
Constipation
Int
Cold intolerance
Endo
Weight gain
UG
Menorrhagia
MSK
Myalgia, weakness
Neuro / Psych
Tired, low mood, dementia
What are the signs of hypothyroidism?
- *B**radycardic
- *R**eflexes relax slowly
- *A**taxia (cerebellar)
- *D**ry, thin hair / skin
- *Y**awning / drowsy / coma
- *C**old hands +/- ↓T°C
- *A**scites
- *R**ound puffy face
- *D**efeated demeanour
- *I**mmobile +/- Ileus
- *C**CF
What are the investigations for hypothyroidism?
TFT
TSH RAISED
Lipids/cholesterol
High
FBC
Macrocytosis
What are the associations of hypothyroidism?
AUTOIMMUNE
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Addison’s disease
Pernicious anaemia
Primary biliary cirrhosis
INHERITED
Turner’s syndrome
Down’s syndrome
Cystic fibrosis
What is the treatment of hypothyroidism?
Levothyroxine (T4)
Higher doses in the young
WHAT IS HYPERTHYROIDISM?
Too much thyroid hormones
What are the causes of hyperthyroidism?
GRAVES’ DISEASE
TOXIC MULTINODULAR GOITRE
TOXIC ADENOMA
ECTOPIC THYROID TISSUE (mets / struma ovarii)
EXOGENOUS (Iodine / T4 excess)
DE QUERVAIN’S THYROIDITIS (post-viral)
What happens in graves disease?
What are the triggers?
Autoimmune
IgG autoantibodies bind to and stimulate TSH receptors
Infection, stress, childbirth
What are the classic symptoms of graves disease?
Eye disease, pretibial myxoedema, thyroid acropachy
Autoimmune (vitiligo, type 1 DM, Addison’s)
What are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism?
CVS
Palpitations
GI
Diarrhoea
Int
Heat intolerance
Endo
↓Weight, ↑appetite
UG
Oligomenorrhoea +/- infertility
Neuro / Psych
Tremor, irritability, labile emotions
What are the signs of hyperthyroidism?
HANDS
Palmar erythema; warm, moist skin; fine tremor
PULSE
Tachycardia; SVT; AF
FACE
Thin hair; lid lag / retraction
NECK
Goitre; nodules; bruit
What are the investigations for hyperthyroidism?
TFT
Increase T4 and T4
FBC
Normocytic anaemia
ESR (↑)
Calcium (↑)
LFT (↑)
Thyroid autoantibodies
Visual fields, acuity, eye movements
What is the treatment for hyperthyroidism?
β-blockers
Propanolol(rapid control of symptoms)
Antithyroid medication
Carbimazole SE = AGRANULOCYTOSIS
Block and replace (carbimazole + thyroxine)
Radioiodine (131I)
Thyroidectomy
What are some causes of goitre?
Physiological
Graves’ disease
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
De Quervain’s
What are the thyroid cancers?
Papillary (60%)
Follicular (≤25%)
Medullary (5%)
Lymphoma (5%)
Anaplastic
WHAT IS PRIMARY ADRENAL INSUFFIENCY?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6XcBp8EV7Q
The adrenal glands can’t produce enough hormones
Aldosterone and cortisol
Primary refers to the adrenal glands themselves
What can addison’s disease be?
Acute and chronic
What are the different layers of the adrenal glands?
Cortex
Zona glomerulosa
Zona fasiculata
Zona reticularis
Medulla
What does the zona glomerulosa produce?
Aldosterone
What does the renin, angiotensin aldosterone system do?
Decrease potassium
Increase sodium
Increase blood volume and pressure
What is aldosterone stimulate by?
Renin
What is aldosterones actions?
Bind to receptors on the distal convulted tubules
Sodium potassium ion pumps of principal cells
Work harder
Drive potassium into cell from blood
Flows down concentration gradient into urine
At same time sodium goes in the opposite direction
Water also moves into blood
Increasing blood pressure
Proton/ATP pumps in alpha-intercalated cells
More protons secreted into urine
Bicarbonate pumped into blood
Increases pH
What is produced in the zona fasiculata?
Cortisol and glucocorticoids