P- Adrenal, Endocrine Pancreas, MEN Syndromes Flashcards
What are the 3 layers of the adrenal cortex?
What is the main product of each?
What are the histology findings for each?
- Zona Glomerulosa - aldosterone (salt) - pink vacuolated cells in homogenous small clusters
- Zona Fasciculata - corticosteroids (metabolism, anti-inflammatory) - clear vacuolated large cells in cords
- Zona Reticularis - androgens (sex) - pink ,granular in meshwork
What are the 3 types of adrenocortical hyperfunction?
- hyperaldosteronism [Conn’s]
- hypercortisolism [Cushing]
- adrenogenital syndrome
What is the #1 cause of Cushing syndrome today?
What are the serum levels of ACTH?
What do the adrenals look like?
Iatrogenic - exogenous administration of corticosteroids/drugs
The ACTH goes down by negative feedback and the adrenals will be atrophied [ZF,ZR]
What is the definition of Cushing syndrome?
Too much cortisol [with or without elevated ACTH]
What are the 3 main endogenous causes of Cushing syndrome?
- Cushing disease- pituitary ATCH secreting adenoma
- Primary adrenal neoplasm or hyperplasia
- non-endocrine ACTH-producing neoplasm [SSC of the lung]
What is Cushing disease?
What sex and age group is it most common in?
What are the 3 potential causes?
It is the overproduction of ACTH by the hypothalamus/pituitary
Females 20-40
- pituitary microadenoma > macroadenoma
- primary corticotroph cell hyperplasia [no mass]
- secondary corticotroph hyperplasia [hypothalamus secretes too much CRH]
With Cushing disease, what is the gross and histologic appearance of the adrenal cortex?
Gross:
- brown/yellow cortical thickening [excess lipid]
- diffuse, scattered nodules (.5-2.5cm), or mix of both
- BILATERAL enlargement
Histology:
- diffuse, nodular hyperplasia of ZR, ZF [larger, more vacuolated cells]
- flattening of ZG [not responsive to ACTH]
- unaffected medulla
What are the 2 types of ACTH-independent Cushing syndromes?
Which is more common?
What will serum ACTH and cortisol levels be?
- primary [bilateral] adrenal hyperplasia
- primary adrenal neoplasm - more common
Both have decreased ACTH from neg feedback and increased cortisol
Describe primary hyperplasia of the adrenal gland.
One gland or bilateral?
diffuse or nodular?
micro or macronodular?
It is bilateral and can be micronodular (less than 3mm) or macronodular (over 3mm)
What are three distinguishing features of micronodular primary adrenal hyperplasia?
- familial
- pigmented adrenal nodules
- large cortical cells
Describe the gross appearance of adrenocortical neoplasia.
- benign [adenoma] or malignant [carcinoma]
- unilateral
- 3cm, encapsulated tellow-black lesion
What are the types of non-endocrine neoplasms that can make ACTH?
- SCC of the lung ** most common
- medullary thyroid carcinoma
- pancreatic islet tumor
- carcinoid
- ovarian tumor
- thymic carcinoma
What are the clinical manifestations of hypercortisolism?
Group them by cortisol action.
Action on MR:
- hypertension, fluid retention/weight gain
- hypokalemia
Fat redistribution:
- truncal obesity
- moon facies
- humpback
Gluconeogenesis
Protein Catabolism:
- osteoporosis, fracture
- cutaneous stria
Atrophy of fast twitch and prox. limb weakness
Immunosuppression
Action on androgens:
- hirsutism
- depression/mood swings
Hyperpigmentation
A patient presents with high Na, low K, volume overload and new onset hypertension.
When looking at lab values you notice reduced AngII and renin.
What is the likely problem?
How would you treat this patient?
Primary hyperaldosteronism.
You know it is primary, because the volume had made a negative feedback on the renin and AngII reducing their levels.
If it was a secondary hyperaldosteronism, then renin/AngII would be elevated.
Treat the patient with unilateral adrenalectomy.
What are the 3 potential causes of primary hyperaldosteronism?
- adrenal mass [80% adenoma, 20% carcinoma]
- adrenal hyperplasia
- idiopathic
An aldosterone-secreting adenoma in the adrenal is known as ___________.
What sex and age group is this more common in?
What do ACTH levels show?
What does the adrenal gland look like?
It is Conn’s syndrome.
It affects women from 30-50.
ACTH levels are NOT suppressed because aldosterone is regulated renally, not by ACTH.
The adrenal gland does NOT show atropy or hypoplasia.
What patient would you expect to present with primary adrenocortical hyperplasia?
Is it unilateral or bilateral?
What zones are proliferating?
What is the current theory of what causes the hyperplasia?
- Children and young adults
- bilateral hyperplasia
- ZG and ZF
- Theory = overactivity of aldosterone synthase [CYP11B2 which converts deoxycortisone–> aldo]
What causes secondary hyperaldosteronism?
It occurs when there is perceived low flow to the kidney resulting in activation of RAAS:
- decreased flow [RA stenosis, nephrosclerosis]
- hypovolemia, edema
- pregnancy [estrogen stimulates renin]
Are production rates of aldosterone higher for primary or secondary hyperaldosteronism?
Secondary [RAAS stimulation]
What is made in the ZR?
- DHEA [dihydroepiandosterone]
2. androstenedione
What are the 3 causes for primary androgen excess?
- adrenal adenoma
- adrenal carcinoma
- adrenal hyperplasia
What is CAH?
What is the inheritance pattern?
What is thought to be defective?
Describe the pathogenesis.
It is congenital adrenal hyperplasia
AR disorder involving one of the many steroid biosynthesis genes most often : 21 hydroxylase [CYP21B] .
- hypocortisolemia–> stimulate pit. ACTH release
- ACTH stimulates cortisol production but due to the 21 hydroxylase deficiency, gets bottlenecked
- precursors are pushed down the androgen synthetic pathway–> virilization
What is the gross appearance of the adrenals in CAH?
- bilaterally enlarged (10x)
- nodular
- cells are lipid-depleted
When there is CAH 21 hydroxylase deficiency, what are the clinical manifestations:
- in infancy
- pubertal girls
- pubertal boys
- pseudohermaphroditism
- oligomenorrhea, hirsutism
- precocious puberty, genitalia enlargement
ALL may have mixed disorder with mineralocorticoid deficiency–> hyponatremia
What is the result of CAH 11-b- hydroxylase deficiency?
The steroid hormone precursors shunt down the mineralocorticoid path cause excess:
- hypernatremia
- high BP
What are the 3 main causes of acute primary adrenal insufficiency?
- hemorrhage into the adrenals
- Waterhouse Freiderichsen syndrome in kids
- anti-coagulant use in adults - excessive stress [trauma, infection, surgery] in setting of chronic adrenal insufficiency
- sudden cessation of prescribed cortisol
What is Waterhouse-Frederichsen syndrome?
What are the 4 most common causes?
It is massive hemorrhage into the adrenals in children caused by:
- meningococcal sepsis
- pseudomonas
- strep
- staph
What is the other name for chronic primary adrenal insufficiency?
What are the 4 common causes?
How much gland needs to be destroyed before symptoms present?
Addison’s disease - 90% of gland must be destroyed for symptoms. ACTH levels remain normal.
- Autoimmune - most commonly
- Infection- TB, granulomatous inflammation
- AIDS- CMV, Kaposi sarcoma, MAI
- Mets- from bronchigenic or breast
For autoimmune Addison’s what is thought to be the target of the autoantibodies?
- 21- hydroxylase
2. ACTH receptor
What is seen histologically in Addison’s disease?
lymphocytic infiltration of the adrenal gland
What is APS? What diseases are involved?
Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy syndrome.
- adrenal [Addisons]
- hashimotos thyroiditis
- pernicious anemia
- diabetes
- hypoparathyroidism
What symptoms are associated with Addison’s?
PRogressive loss of glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids:
- hyperpigmentation [increased ACTH, POMC, MSH]
- hypoglycemia -> fatigue/weakness
- GI disturbances [nausea, anorexia, weight loss]
- Na wasting, hypovolemia, hyperkalemia, hypotension
What are the causes of secondary adrenocortical insufficiency?
How do the signs/symptoms differ from primary?
It can be caused by reduced pituitary output of ACTH due to :
- tumor
- infection
- infarction
It differs from primary because:
- Adrenal cortex is atrophic [esp. ZF, ZR]
- no hyperpigmentation [because reduced ACTH]
- no loss of aldosterone
Adrenal adenomas can be derived from __________ of the adrenal gland and can be associated with the production of _____,_________,_____________,________.
Adrenal adenomas can derive from any layer of the cortex of the adrenal glands.
They can produce:
- mineralcorticoids
- glucocorticoids
- estrogen
- androgen
Describe the gross appearance and histology of Cushing syndrome from adrenal adenoma.
Gross:
- over 60g, 3cm
- yellow due to lipid content
Histology:
- resemble fasciculata cells
- nests and cords
- adjacent adrenal is atrophic due to HP feedback
Describe the gross appearance and histology of an adrenal adenoma that is causing Conn’s syndrome.
Gross:
- less than 2cm, solitary
- unencapsulated and yellow
Histologically:
- cells resemble glomerulosa OR fasiculata
- glomerulosa is thickened
- adrenals are NOT atrophic
- Spironolactone bodies