L'hypophyse Flashcards
What’s the difference between the location of the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland?
Hypothalamus –> partie du cerveau
Hypophyse –> glande accrochée sous le cerveau
What are the main organs targetted by the pituitary gland? (6)
- Thyroid
- Adrenal glands
- Ovaries
- Testicles
- Liver
- Breasts
What are the three main levels of hormonal control?
- Hypothalamus
- Pituitary
- Target organ (effector)
What is the purpose of the hypothalamus?
Integration center for information within the brain
Where is the hypothalamus?
Around the third ventricle right above the pituitary gland
What does the hypothalamus “control”?
Anterior and posterior pituitary gland
Which hormones are secreted by the hypothalamus? (8)
- CRH
- GHRH
- Somatostatin
- TRH
- GnRH (or LHRH)
- Dopamine
- ADH (vasopressin)
- Oyxtocin
Which hormones are secreted by the anterior pituitary? (6)
- ACTH
- HGH (or GH)
- TSH
- LH
- FSH
- PRL
What is the main function of the hypothalamus?
- Stimulates the release of hormones from the anterior pituitary gland
- Secretes 2 hormones that inhibit the release of two hormones from the anterior pituitary gland
- Produces 2 hormones that are stocked in the posterior pituitary
Which hypothalamic hormones stimulate the release of which anterior pituitary hormones? (4:4)
CRH –> ACTH
GHRH –> HGH or GH
GnRH –> LH-FSH
TRH –> TSH
Which two hypothalamic hormones inhibit the release of which two anterior pituitary hormones?
Somatostatin -/-> GH
Dopamine -/-> prolactin
What are the two lobes of the pituitary gland and their functions?
- Anterior pituitary:
- 2/3 of the pituitary
- Embryo: provient des cellules ectodermiques
- PRODUCES hormones
- Posterior pituitary:
- 1/3 of the pituitary
- Embryo: neurological cells
- STOCKS hormones
What is the selle turcique?
saddle-shaped depression in the body of the sphenoid bone of the human skull in which the pituitary gland is located
Embryology of the pituitary:
ectoderme –> Poche de Rathke –> hypophyse antérieur
crête neurale –> hypophyse postérieur
How does the hypothalamus communicate with both parts of the pituitary?
- Anterior: via portal system (venous circulation)
- Posterior: not actually separate (embryologically/anatomically) from the hypothalamus, just a continuation of its axons/nerve endings
What are the six cell types within the anterior pituitary?
- Thyréotropes –> TSH and regulated by TRH
- Lactotropes –> PRL
- Gonadotropes –> LH/FSH and regulated by GnRH
- Somatotropes –> HGH and regulated by GHRH
- Corticotropes –> ACTH and regulated by CRH
- Chromophobes (colourless but job unknown for now)
MRI of the brain and the pituitary:
Which three important nerves are found in the optic chiasma?
3, 4, and 6: used for tracking and coordinating eye movement
If there’s a problem with the “sinus caverneux” and these three nerves are affected, it’ll cause diplopia
What is the name and function of the 3rd cranial nerve?
N. occulomoteur
Function: muscles de l’œil sauf grand oblique et droit externe
What is the name and function of the 4th cranial nerve?
N. pathétique/trochléaire
Function: muscles grand oblique de l’œil
What is the name and function of the 6th cranial nerve?
N. moteur oculaire externe/abducens
Function: muscle droit externe
What is the axe hypothalamo-hypophyso-thyoïdien?
What is the axe hypothalmo-hypophyso-gonadique in women?
What is the axe hypothalmo-hypophyso-gonadique in men?
What is the axe hypothalamo-hypophyo-surrénalien?
What is the circadian cycle?
Cortisol levels during the day:
- High in the morning
- Drops throughout the day
- Low at midnight and at the start of the night
- Raises again towards the end of the night
(this cycle changes depending on your sleep schedule)
What is the axe hypothalamo-hypophyso-somatotrope?
What hormone inhibits the axe somatotrope?
Somatostatin
What is the “axe de la prolactine”?
What are the three most important things to know about pituitary tumours?
- Benign
- Grow slowly
- Are intrasellar (stay inside the selle turcique)
What are the names of the most common benign and malignant pituitary tumours?
Benign –> adenoma
Malignant –> carcinoma (VERY RARE)
How big is a microadenoma?
< 10 mm
How big is a macroadenoma?
≥ 10 mm
What are the two main kinds of benign pituitary tumours?
- Tumeurs fonctionnelles (secrétantes): 80% secrètent une ou des hormones
- Tumeurs non-fonctionnelles (non-secrétantes): 20% ne secrètent pas des hormones
What do functional tumours secrete?
Prolactin (PRL) –> 50%
ACTH (Cushing) –> 10-15%
HGH (Acromegaly/gigantism) –> 10-15%
TSH (TSHome) –> Rare
LH-FSH –> Rare
What are the most common types of pituitary tumours?
The most frequent: prolactinoma
2nd: non functional
What are the two kinds of clinical manifestations of pituitary tumours?
- Local (neurological)
- Hormonal (endocrine)
What are the main local manifestations of pituitary tumours (neurological)?
- Céphalées (rare except in acromegaly)
- Anomalies visuelles:
- Hémiansopsie bitemporale
- Perte des champs visuels bitemporaux
- Atteinte du chiasma optique
- Perte des champs visuels bitemporaux
-
Diplopie (3,4,6)
- Double vision
- Atteinte d’un ou des nerfs crâniens par envahissement (sinus caverneux)
- Double vision
- Hémiansopsie bitemporale
What are the two kinds of hormonal manifestations caused by pituitary tumours?
- Surplus hormonal
- Déficit hormonal
What is the difference between a primary/secondary or tertiary illness?
Organe cible malade: maladie primaire
Hypophyse/hypothalamus malade: maladie centrale (2/3)
If there’s a surplus/deficit in cortisol what is it called?
Surplus: Cushing
Déficit: Insuffisance surrénale
If there’s a surplus/deficit in T4-T3 what is it called?
Surplus: hyperT4
Déficit: hypoT4
If there’s a surplus/deficit in LH-FSH, estrogen, testosterone what is it called?
Surplus: pas de syndrome
Déficit: hypogonadisme
What happens to LH and FSH during menopause?
If the hypothalamus or pituitary gland are normal, your LH-FSH levels SHOULD BE HIGH!
If they’re low, that’s an issue!
If there’s a surplus/deficit in HGH what is it called?
Surplus: gigantism (in kids), acromegaly (in adults when they’re done growing)
Déficit: déficit en hormone de croissance, déficit somatotrope
If there’s a surplus/deficit in PRL what is it called?
Surplus: hyperprolactinémie
Déficit: pas de terme
What does a surplus of PRL in women cause?
Chute d’estrogènes qui cause:
- Aménorrhée-galactorrhée (écoulement de lait des mammelons)
- Infertility
- Osteoporosis
What does a surplus of PRL in men cause?
Chute de testostérone:
- Loss of libido
- Erectile dysfunction
- Infertility
- Osteoporosis
- Loss of beard/pubic hair
What does a surplus in HGH cause in children/adults?
Children: gigantism
Adults: acromegaly
How can a hormonal deficit be caused by a tumour?
A tumour that squishes the pituitary gland causing damage and cellular destruction
- Usually it’s a macroadenoma (> 10 mm otherwise it’s probably too small)