Endocrinology Flashcards
What is secreted by the thyroid gland?
-Secretes T3 and T4
>T4 is more abundant. T3 is more active
What is the role of thyroid hormone?
- Metabolism: regulates the use of energy sources
- Protein synthesis
- Control of body’s sensitivity to other hormones (particularly adrenaline)
How can thyroid problems be classified?
-Hypothryoidism
>Primary
>Secondary
>Congenital
What is the pathology of primary hypothyroidism?
-Problem with the thyroid gland itself
What is the pathology of secondary hypothyroidism?
-A disorder within the pituitary gland or lesion compressing the pituitary gland
What is the pathology of congenital hypothyroidism?
-Due to a proble with thryoid dysgeneiss or thyroid dyshormonogenesis
What is the role of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in thyroid function?
-Hypothalamus secretes thyrotropin-releasing hormone
>causes stimulation of ANTERIOR PITUITARY to secrete TSH
>Stimulates thyroid gland to increase production of: Thyroixine (T4) and Triiodothyronqine (T3)
What is the epidemiology of hypothyroidism?
-More common in females than males
What are causes of primary hypothyroidism?
- MOST COMMON: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
- Subacute thyroiditis
- Riedel thyroiditis
- Iatrogenic
- Drug therapy: lithium, amiodarone, anti-thyroid drugs
- Dietary iodine deficiency
- Congenital hypothyroidism
- Postpartum thyroiditis
What are the causes of secondary hypothyroidism?
-Pituitary failure
-Other ass. conditions:
>Down’s syndrome
>Turner’s syndrome
>Coeliac disease
*Rare
What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism?
- Fatigue
- Weight gain
- Anorexia
- Cold intolerance
- Poor memory
- Constipation
- Goitre
- Changes to periods (menorrhagia)
- Puffy/swollen eyes: myxoedema
- Carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms
What are signs of hypothyroidism?
- Overweight
- Dry skin
- Thin hair and eyebrows
- Mental slowness
- Ataxia
- Proximal muscle weakness
- Slow relaxing reflexes - hyporeflexia
- Non-pitting oedema (hands and face)
- Bradycardia and hypotension (Decreased sympathetic stimulation)
What is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
-Most common cause of hypothyroidism
-Autoimmune disease
-Ass. w/
>T1DM
>Addison’s disease
>Pernicious anaemia
>RA/SLE/Sjorgren’s
Features of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
- Normal features of hypo
- Goitre: firm, non-tender
What antibodies will be present in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
- Anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO)
- Anti-Tg
What is subacute thyroiditis also known as?
-De Quervain’s thyroiditis
What is subacute thyroiditis?
- 4 phase thyroid dysfunction.
- Typically presents following a viral infection and presents with hyperthyroidism initially
What is phase 1 of subacute thyroiditis?
-Phase 1: (3-6 weeks): hyperthyroidism, painful goitre, raised ESR
What is phase 2 of subacute thyroiditis?
-Phase 2: (1-3 weeks) of euthryoid
What is phase 3 of subacute thyroiditis?
-Phase 3: weeks-months of hypothyroidism
What is phase 4 of subacute thyroiditis?
-Thyroid structure and function returns to normal
How is subacute thyroiditis diagnosed and treated?
-Investigations: globally reduced uptake of thyroid on iodine-131 scan
-Mx: usually self limiting (most pts don’t require Rx
>Aspirin/NSAIDs for pain
>Severe cases: steroids
What are 3 stages of post-partum thyroiditis?
- Thyrotoxicosis
- Hypothyroidism
- Normal thyroid function
Which antibodies are found in post-partum thyroiditis?
-Thyroid peroxidase antibodies
How is post-partum thyroiditis managed?
- Propanolol for symptom control of thyrotoxic phase
- Hypothyroid phase: thyroxine
What are features of Riedel’s thyroiditis?
- Rare cause of hypothyroidism
- Dense firbous tissue replaces normal thyroid parenchyma
- Middle aged women
- Ass. w/ retropritoneal fibrosis
What would you find on examination of someone with Riedle’s thyroiditis?
-Hard, fixed, painless goitre
How is hypothyroidism investigated?
-TFTs >Low free T3/T4 >TSH high (primary) >TSH low (secondary) -Thyroid antibodies -FBC: anaemia -Hyperlipidaemia (decreased metabolism)
What are examples of antibodies that may be present in hypothyroidism?
- Anti-thyroglobulin
- Anti-thyroid peroxidase
How is hypothyroidism treated?
-Lifelong levothyroxine
50-100mcg OD
Which pt groups should the dose of levothyroxine be altered?
- Elderly
- IHD
- Pregnancy
What are some side effects of thyroxine therapy?
- Hyperthyroidism (overtreatment)
- Reduced bone mineral density
- Worsening of angina
- AF
Which drug interacts with thyroxine?
-Iron tablets
>give thyroxine and iron at least 2 hours apart
What is subclinical hypothyroidism?
- TSH raised
- T3 and T4 normal
- No obvious symptoms
What is the significance of subclinical hypothyroidism?
-Risk of progressing to overt hypothyroidism
What is the most serious complication of hypothyroidism?
-Myxoedema coma
>Extreme manifestation of untreated/undertreated hypothyroidism
How does myxoedema coma present?
- History of longstanding hypothyroidism
- Deterioration in mental state: apathy, low mood, cognitive decline, confusion, coma
- Hypothermia
- Hypotension and bradycardia
- Hypoventilation
What are some factors which maya precipitate myxoedema coma?
- Hypothermia
- Infections
- Medications: amiodarone, anaesthetic, beta blockers, lithium, phenytoin
- Other significant metabolic challenges: hypoglycaemia, Gi bleed, stroke, surgery/trauma
How is myxoedema coma managed?
-Admit to ITU
-Supportive Mx:
>ventilation, correction of electrolyte imbalance, monitor CV status, warm hypothermic pts slowly
-Thyroid replacement (IV)
-Abx
-Corticosteroids
What are the causes of hyperthyroidism?
- Grave’s disease
- Toxic multinodular goitre
- Solitary toxic nodule/adenoma
- Acute phase of De Quervain’s thyroiditis
- Acute phase of post-partum thyroiditis
- Acute phase of Hashimoto’s
- Pituitary tumour secreting TSH
- Drug induced ie amiodarone
What are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism?
- Anxiety/irritability/change in behaviour
- Sweaty/heat intolerance
- Diarrhoea
- Oligomenorrhoea
- Weight loss
- Increased appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Palpitations
- Loss of labido
- Eye symptoms in Grave’s
What are signs of hyperthyroidism?
- Tremor
- Tachycardia and hypertension
- Warm, vasodilated peripheries
- Red face/sweating
- Anxious/manic appearance
- AF
- Finger clubbing
- Goitre
- Eye signs (Gravea)
What is Graves’ disease?
- Most common cause of thyrotoxicosis
- Typically seen in women aged 30-50
What are the eye signs seen in Graves’ disease?
- Exophthalmos/proptosis
- Ophthalmoplegia
- Lidlag
- Lid retraction
- Conjunctival oedema
- Optic disc swelling
- Blood shot eyes
How often are eye signs seen in Graves’ disease?
-30%
What other signs apart from eye signs are seen in Graves’ disease?
- Pretibial myxoedema
- Thyroid acropachy (soft tissue swelling of the fingers)
- Other features of hyperthyroidism
What symptoms will pts with Graves’ eye disease complain of?
- Pain or pressure in the eye
- Gritty sensation
- Decreased vision
- Photophobia
- Dry sore eyes
How may thyroid eye disease be prevented?
- Smoking cessation
- Avoid radioiodine Rx
- ?Prednisolone
How is thyroid eye disease managed?
- Thyroid disease Rx
- Prednisolone
- Smoking cessation
- Topical lubricants
- Radiotherapy
- Surgery
What are some indications for urgent review by ophthalmology in someone with established thyroid eye disease
- Unexplained deterioration in vision
- Awareness of change in intensity of quality of colour vision
- History of eye ‘suddenly popping out’ - globe subluxation
- Obvious corneal opacity
- Cornea still visible when eyelids closed
- Disc swelling
Whats specific antibodies are present in Graves’ disease?
- TSH receptor stimulating antibodies
- Anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies
What is toxic multimodular goitre ?
-Thyroid gland contains a number of autonomously functioning nodules = hyperthyroidism
How should toxic multinodular goitre be investigated and treated?
- Ix: nuclear scintigraphy, reveals patchy uptake
- Rx: radioiodine therapy
How is hyperthyroidism diagnosed?
- T3 and T4: high
- TSH: low (mainly primary causes)
- Thyroid autoantibodies
- Thyroid USS: ddx Graves’ from toxic adenoma
- Isotope uptake scanning
What medications can be helpful for symptom management in initial diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis?
-Propanolol
How is Graves’ disease treated?
- Antithyroid drugs ie carbimazole
- Radioiodine treatment
What are some contraindications for radioiodine Rx for hyperthyroidism?
- Pregnancy
- Age <16
- Thyroid eye disease
What are some side effects of antithyroid drugs?
- Rash (most common)
- Less common: arthralgia, hepatitis, thrombocytopenia, neuritis
- resovles after stopping drug
What is the major complication to consider in cambimazole therapy?
-Agranulocytosis
Which antithyroid drug should be used during pregnancy?
-Propylthiouracil
When does surgical management need to be used?
- When medical mx is unsuccessful
- Solitary toxic nodule/adenoma
- Partial or total thyroidectomy
What are some poor prognostic factors for hyperthyroidism?
- Severe biochemical hyperthyroidism
- Large goitre
- Thyroid antibody +ve
- Male gender
- Young at age of onset
What are features of a thyroid storm?
- History of underlying thyroid disease
- Hyperpyrexia
- Tachycardia
- Extreme restlessness
- Delirium
- Coma and death (if not treated)
What are some precipitation factors of thyroid storm?
- Infection
- Stress
- Surgery
- Radioactive iodine therapy in unprepared pts (TSH given for a couple days before radioactive iodine therapy to help thyroid cells take in iodine)
How is thyroid storm treated?
- Large doses carbimazole
- Potassium iodide
- IV hydrocortisone
What is a goitre?
- Palpable and visible thyroid enlargement
- Can be euthyroid
- Common in iodine deficient areas
What are the causes of diffuse goitres?
- Graves’ disease
- Hashimoto’s
- Thyroiditis
- Idodine deficiency
- Sulfonylureas
What are the causes of nodular goitres?
- Multinodular goitres
- Solitary nodules
- Thyroid cysts
What are the types of tumours that can cause goitres?
- Adenoma
- Carcinoma
- Lympohomas
What are the physiological causes of goitres?
- Pregnancy
- Puberty
What are some inflammatory causes of a goitre?
- TB
- Sarcoidosis
How should a goitre be investigated?
- USS (fluid vs solid)
- Fine needle aspiration cytology biopsy
- TFTs
How does amiodarone affect thyroid function?
- Prevents uptake and organification of iodine
- Reduces peripheral T4-> T3 conversion
- TSH raised, T4 high, T3 low
How should amiodarone induced hypothyroidism be treated?
- Levothyroxine
- Continue amiodarone
What are the 2 different types of amiodarone induced thyrotoxicosis?
-AIT-1: excessive thyroid hormone synthesis
>treat with carbimazole, stop amiodarone
-AIT-2: amiodarone-related destructive thyroiditis
>treat with corticosteroids, stop amiodarone
What is the relationship between lithium and thyroid function
-Hypothyroidism!
>treat with levothyroxine and continue lithium therapy.
-Monitor TFTs every 6/12
What are different types of cancer seen in the thyroid gland?
- Papillary (young females)
- Follicular
- Medullary
- Anaplastic
- Lymphoma
Features of thyroid cancer?
- Lump
- Systemic features: fever, night sweats, weight loss
- Local invasion/pressure symptoms
How are papillary and follicular thyroid cancers treated?
- Thyroidectomy
- Radioiodine
- Yearly thyroglobulin levels
What are some complications of thyroid surgery?
- Damage to recurrent laryngeal nerve
- Bleeding
- Damage to parthyroid glands > hypocalcaemia
What is diabetes mellitus?
-Chronic endocrine condition characterised by abnormally raised blood glucose levels
What are the different classifications of DM?
- T1DM
- T2DM
- Prediabetes
- Gestational diabetes
- Maturity onset diabetes of the young
- Latent autoimmune diabetes of adults
What medication can result in raised blood glucose levels?
-Steroids
What is T1DM?
- Autoimmune disorder
- Insulin producing beta cells are destroyed by immune system –> absolute deficiency of insulin
- =Raised blood glucose
- Usually present in childhood/early adult life
- May present as DKA
How can bood glucose be checked/monitored?
- Finger prick BM
- Blood glucose (fasting/non-fasting)
- HbA1c
- Glucose tolerance test
What is the diagnostic criteria for diabetes for fasting plasma glucose?
> 7.0mmol/L
What is the diagnostic criteria for diabetes for random plasma glucose?
->11.0mmol/L
What is the diabetic level cut off for HbA1c?
->48mmol/L (6.5%)
What may cause a misleading HbA1c result?
-Increased red cell turnover ie
>sickle cell disease
>polycythaemia
>COPD
What are some medical conditions in which HbA1c may not be used for a diagnosis of diabetes?
- Haemaglobinopathies
- Haemolytic anaemia
- Untreated iron deficiency
- Suspected gestational diabetes
- Children
- HIV
- CKD
What does impiared fasting glucose mean?
-Fasting glucose of >6.1 but <7.0
What does impaired glucose tolerance mean?
-Impaired glucose tolerance:
>plasma glucose <7, >oral glucose tolerance 2 hour value >7.8 but <11.1
What are the main principles of management of diabetes?
- Drug therapy to normalise blood glucose levels
- Monitor for and treat any diabetic complications
- Modify any other risk factors for other conditions ie CVD
How is T1DM treated?
-Insulin
How is T2DM treated?
- Diet controlled
- Metformin (1st line)
- Sulfonylureas, gliptins, pioglitazone (2nd line)
- Insulin (when meds aren’t sufficient)
How does insulin work?
-Direct replacement of endogenous insulin given S/C
How can insulin be classified?
- Source: analogue, human sequencing
- Duration of action: short, immediate, long acting
What are the main side effects of insulin?
- Hypoglycaemia
- Weight gain
- Lipodystrophy
How does metformin work?
- Increases insulin sensitivity
- Decreases hepatic gluconeogenesis
- Type of biguanide
What is a contraindication for metformin?
-Can not be used in patients with eGFR <30ml/min
What are the main side effects of metformin?
- Diarrhoea
- Lactic acidosis
What is the mode of action of sulfonylureas?
-Stimulates pancreatic beta cells to secrete insulin
What are examples of sulfonylureas?
- Gliclazide
- Glimepiride
What are the main side effects of sulfonylureas?
- Hypoglycaemia
- Weight gain
- Hyponatraemia
What is mode of action of thiazolidinediones?
-Activation of PPAR-gamma receptor adipocytes
=promotes apidogenesis and fatty acid uptake
What is an example of thiazolidinediones?
-Pioglitazone
What are the main side effects of pioglitazone?
- Weight gain
- Fluid retention
How do DPP-4 inhibitors work?
-Increase incretin levels - inhibition of glucagon secretion
What are examples of DPP-4 inhibitors?
- Sitagliptin
- Vildagliptin
What are the side effects of DPP-4 inhibitors?
-Increased risk of pancreatitis (generally well tolerated)
How does SGLT2 inhibitors work?
- Inhibitos reabsorption of glucose in the kidney
- commonly cause weight loss
What are examples of SGLT2 inhibitors?
- Canagliflozin
- Dapagliflozin
What is a side effefct of SGLT2 inhibitors?
-UTI
How do GLP-1 agonists work?
-Inhibits glucagon secretion
ie exenatide, liraglutide
What are side effects of GLP-1 agonists?
- N+V
- Pancreatitis