Paediatrics 2 ( Opth, Resp, ENT, Genetics, Endocrine) Flashcards
Explain the Hypothalamic-Pituitary Gonadal Axis?
- Hypothalamus = release GnRH
- Anterior pituitary gland = FSH and LH
- acts on testes and Ovaries
- Sex hormone action
what is the first sign of puberty for males and females?
Females = breast buds 8-13 yrs
Males = testicular enlargement 9-14 yrs
What are the different categories for delay in puberty causes?
Tertiary = problem in hypothalamus
Secondary = problem in pituitary
Primary = problem in gonads
Define: Klinefelter syndrome
male has an additional X chromosome making them 47 XXY
Presentation: Kleinfelder syndrome
appear as normal males until puberty
Taller height
Wider hips
Gynaecomastia
Weaker muscles
Small testicles
Reduced libido
Shyness
Infertility
Subtle learning difficulties (particularly affecting speech and language)
Management: Klinefelter syndrome
No cure
- Testosterone injections = improve many of the symptoms
- Advanced IVF techniques have the potential to allow fertility
- Breast reduction surgery for cosmetic purposes
Multidisciplinary team input:
- Speech and language therapy to improve speech and language
- Occupational therapy to assist in day to day tasks
- Physiotherapy to strengthen muscles and joints
- Educational support where required for dyslexia and other learning difficulties
What does Klinefelter syndrome increase your risk of?
- Breast cancer compared with other males (but still less than females)
- Osteoporosis
- Diabetes
- Anxiety and depression
Infertility = can be treated with advanced IVF
Define: Turner syndrome
Female has a single X chromosome making them 45 X0
Presentation: Turner’s syndrome
Short stature
Webbed neck
Broad chest with widely spaced nipples
High arching palate
Downward sloping eyes with ptosis
Cubitus valgus (elbow when extended is exaggerated away from the body)
Underdeveloped ovaries with reduced function
Late or incomplete puberty
Most women are infertile
What are the effects of Turner’s syndrome on prenatal, neonatal, adults and fertility?
Prenatal: increased nuchal translucency
Neonatal: Lymphoedema
Cardiac: Aortic coarctation
Fertility: dysplastic ovaries (risk of malignancy)
What are seem associated conditions with Turner’s syndrome?
Recurrent otitis media
Recurrent urinary tract infections
Coarctation of the aorta
Hypothyroidism
Hypertension
Obesity
Diabetes
Osteoporosis
Various specific learning disabilities
Management: Turner’s syndrome
No cure
Growth hormone therapy = can be used to prevent short stature
Oestrogen and progesterone replacement = can help establish female secondary sex characteristics, regulate the menstrual cycle and prevent osteoporosis
Fertility treatment = can increase the chances of becoming pregnant
What are the most common causes of primary hypogonadism?
Males = Klinefelter’s syndrome
Both = chemo/radiotherapy
Galactosemia
Trauma/surgery
Females = Turner’s syndrome
What are the most common causes of secondary + tertiary hypogonadism?
Intracranial tumours
Chemotherapy / Radiotherapy
Congenital enzyme / receptor mutations
Prader-Willi syndrome
Sport
Eating disorders
Malnutrition
Chronic disease
Marijuana
What are the 2 types of hypogonadism?
lack of sex hormones, oestrogen and testosterone
- Hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism = deficiency of LH and FSH
- hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism = lack of response to LH and FSH by the gonads
What are the causes of hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism?
Abnormal functioning of hypothalamus or pituitary gland due to:
- Previous damage to the hypothalamus or pituitary, for example by radiotherapy or surgery for previous cancer
- Growth hormone deficiency
- Hypothyroidism
- Hyperprolactinaemia (high prolactin)
- Serious chronic conditions can temporarily delay puberty (e.g. cystic fibrosis or inflammatory bowel disease)
- Excessive exercise or dieting can delay the onset of menstruation in girls
- Constitutional delay in growth and development is a temporary delay in growth and puberty without underlying physical pathology
- Kallman syndrome
What are the causes of hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism?
Gonads fail to respond to stimulation so increasing amounts of LH and FSH are produced by pituitary (no negative feedback)
- Previous damage to the gonads (e.g. testicular torsion, cancer or infections, such as mumps)
- Congenital absence of the testes or ovaries
- Kleinfelter’s Syndrome (XXY)
- Turner’s Syndrome (XO)
Define: Kallman syndrome
genetic condition causing hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism
- resulting in failure to start puberty
- associated with reduced or absent sense of smell (anosmia)
Investigations: hypogonadism
No evidence of puberty in a girl aged 13 or a boy aged 14
initial:
- Full blood count and ferritin for anaemia
- U&E for chronic kidney disease
- Anti-TTG or anti-EMA antibodies for coeliac disease
Hormonal blood tests:
- Early morning serum FSH and LH (the gonadotropins). These will be low in hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism and high in hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism.
- Thyroid function tests
- Growth hormone testing. - Insulin-like growth factor I is often used as a screening test for GH deficiency.
- Serum prolactin
Genetic testing
What imaging investigations can be done for hypogonadism?
Xray of the wrist = to assess bone age and inform a diagnosis of constitutional delay
Pelvic ultrasound = in girls to assess the ovaries and other pelvic organs
MRI = of the brain to look for pituitary pathology and assess the olfactory bulbs in possible Kallman syndrome
Management: hypogonadism
treat underlying condition
- replacement sex hormones can be used to induce puberty under guidance
Define: precocious puberty
Puberty at an abnormally young age
Girls before 8 yrs
Boys before age 9
What are the 2 types of precocious puberty?
- Central precocious puberty ‘true’
- gonadotrophin dependent types
- premature activation of hypothalamic pituitary gonadal - Peripheral/ pseudo precocious puberty
- independent of gonadotrophin release
- increased production of female or male hormones
- oestrogen and testosterone high, FSH and LH suppressed
What are the causes of central precocious puberty?
- idiopathic 80% of girls and 40% of boys
- abnormalities of CNS
- tumours
- CNS trauma or injury
- harartomas og hypothalamus
- congenital disorders e.g. hydrocephalus
what are the causes of peripheral precocious puberty?
- congenital adrenal hyperplasia
- tumours
- Mc-Cune Albright sundrome
- Sliver-russell syndrome
- testotoxicosis
- severe hypothyroidism
- exogenous oestrogen/androgen exposure
Investigations: precocious puberty
- measure levels of sex steroid
- Gonatrophins = LH and FSH
- TFTs
- adrenal steroid precursors
- HCG
- urinary 17-ketosteroids
imaging
- pelvic USS
- x-rays = check bone age
Management: precocious puberty
surgery = remove tumours
medical
- GnHR agonists
- glucocorticoid = for CAH
- testolactone = aromatase inhibitor
- tamoxifen
What are the different types of diabetes?
- type 1
- type 2
- MODY = maturity onset diabetes of the young, mutation
- neonatal = under 6 months
- Wolfram = optic atrophy + deafness
- Gestational diabetes
- LADA = latent autoimmune diabetes in adults
- others = include secondary causes such as CF related diabetes, thalassaemia
What are the risk factors of type 1 diabetes?
- family history
- genetics
- geography
- age
What are the main features of type 1 diabetes?
- polyuria
- polydipsia
- weight loss
- tiredness
(toilet, tired, thirsty, thinner)
how to diagnose type 1?
- usually acute presentation via GP or ED
- must be same day referral to hospital
- may present compensating or in DKA
What are the features of type 2 in children?
- incidence rising
- very aggressive and worse prognosis than T1
- at presentation 44% have hypertension + 25% kidney disease
What are the risk factors for type 2 diabetes in children?
- obesity
- girls
- non-white ethnicity
- deprivation
What is the pathophysiology of type 2?
The response to insulin is diminished, producing insulin resistance, initially countered by an increase in insulin production to try and maintain glucose homeostasis.
(body stops reacting to insulin)
Investigations: diabetes to diagnose diabetes?
Symptoms PLUS
random venous plasma glucose concentration >11.1 m/mol
OR
a fasting plasma glucose con >7 m/mol
OR
2 hr plasma glucose conc >11.1 2 hrs after 75g anhydrous glucose in an OGTT
pre diabetes for T2 42-48 hbA1c
Management: Type 1
insulin treatment
(long acting and rapid acting for meals)
- pen therapy is usual initial treatment
- fixed doses to start with and then carb counted meals
- insulin sensitivity factor for correction doses
Define: DKA
not producing or injecting adequate insulin
- cells have no glucose so start producing ketones as fuel
Presentation: T1 in DKA
- polydipsia
- polyuria
- rapid breathing
- lethargic
- nausea and vomiting
- abdominal pain
- hyperventilation
- dehydration
- reduced level of consciousness
What are the 3 things to diagnose DKA?
- Hyperglycaemia (i.e. blood glucose > 11 mmol/l)
- Ketosis (i.e. blood ketones > 3 mmol/l)
- Acidosis (i.e. pH < 7.3)
What are the scales of severity of DKA?
MILD – pH < 7.3 or plasma bicarbonate <15 mmol/l
MODERATE – pH <7.2 or plasma bicarbonate < 10 mmol/l
SEVERE – pH < 7.1 or plasma bicarbonate < 5 mmol/l
One to one nursing or HDU if under 2 years or severe DKA
What might a DKA blood gas look like?
pH 7.06
pCO2 2.8
BE – 15
HC03 13
management: DKA
- fluids first to rehydrate
- insulin (to switch off ketone production)
-monitor glucose hourly - monitor electrolytes esp K= and ketones
- very strict fluid balance
- hourly neuro obs
What are the complication of DKA?
cerebral oedema
shock
hypokalaemia
aspiration
thrombus
Management: T2
- Lifestyle – physical activity, sleep, screentime
- Metformin +/- Insulin therapy
- Consideration of GLP- 1 agonists – Liraglutide (>10 years), Semaglutide (> 18 years)
- Diet - Calorie / carb reduction – weight loss
What are the signs of autonomic hypoglycaemic?
Irritable
Hungry
Shaky
Anxious
Sweaty
Palpitations
Pallor
What are the signs of neuroglycopenic hypoglycaemia?
(severe - lack of glucose in brain)
Confused
Drowsy
Hearing or visual problems
Headache
Slurred speech
Unusual behaviour / moodiness
Coma
Seizures
Management: hypoglycaemia
mild
- rapid acting glucose e.g. lucozade
- slower acting carbs e.g. biscuits, toast
severe (impaired consciousness)
- IV dextrose
- IM glucagon
What are the complications of diabetes?
Immediate / short term:
hypo or hyperglycaemia
DKA
Long term:
Microvascular – albuminuria and retinopathy
Macrovascular – hypertension and hypercholesterolaemia
Blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, and amputations
Lipo0hypertrophy (injection sites
Diabetes Burnout
Diabulimia
Self harm with insulin
High carb loads and insulin therapy leading to insulin resistance and high BMI, increasing metabolic risk
Define: William’s syndrome
deletion of genetic material on one copy of chromosome 7, resulting in the person only having a single copy of the genes on this deleted region (on the other chromosome 7)
- random deletion
Presentation: William syndrome
Broad forehead
Starburst eyes (a star-like pattern on the iris)
Flattened nasal bridge
Long philtrum
Wide mouth with widely spaced teeth
Small chin
Very sociable trusting personality
Mild learning disability
What conditions are associated with William’s syndrome?
Supravalvular aortic stenosis (narrowing just above the aortic valve)
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
Hypertension
Hypercalcaemia
Management: William’s syndrome
No cure
- physio
- OT
- speech and language therapist
- ECG + BP monitoring = aortic stenosis and hypertension
- low calcium diet
When is hearing routinely tested?
- Newborn Hearing Screening Programme
= aims at birth to identify >40dBHL moderate, severe and profound deafness
Misses mild losses or sloping losses - School Screening Programme =
When start full time school
What are the common causes of hearing loss?
Congenital
Maternal rubella or cytomegalovirus infection during pregnancy
Genetic deafness can be autosomal recessive or autosomal dominant
Associated syndromes, for example Down’s syndrome
Perinatal
Prematurity
Hypoxia during or after birth
After birth
Jaundice
Meningitis and encephalitis
Otitis media or glue ear
Chemotherapy
What high risk groups are monitored for hearing loss?
- Cystic Fibrosis/ Chemotherapy before and after treatments due medication
- CMV (Cytomegalovirus)
- Head Trauma
- Cleft lip/palate
- Downs Syndrome
What are the types of hearing loss?
Conductive Hearing Loss
Sensori-neural Hearing Loss
Mixed Hearing Loss
What are the features and causes of conductive hearing loss?
A problem in the middle ear (to do with ear drum not he nerves)
Glue ear
Ear wax
Middle ear infection
perforated eardrum
abnormality of the outer ear
eustachian tube dysfunction
Management: conductive hearing loss
Most conductive losses will resolve themselves over time
ENT may insert grommets
Hearing Aids may be offered for persistent losses if parents decline surgery
In the case of permanent conductive losses, Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA) may be fitted
What are the features of sensorineural hearing loss?
- usually permanent
Management: sensorineural hearing loss
- usually managed by hearing aids
- The aim is to raise the level of hearing so that as much speech is as audible as possible
- In the case of profound hearing losses, who cannot receive sufficient benefit from hearing aids, cochlear implants may be recommended.
Management: mixed hearing loss
The conductive element will be addressed first.
A hearing aid will be issued to help make all parts of speech audible, especially the high frequencies.
What are the different subjective hearing losses for children?
Distraction Test- 6-18 Months
Visual Reinforcement Audiometry- 6-30 Months
Performance Testing- 24 Months+
Pure Tone Audiometry- 3 years+
What are the types of foreskin abnormalities?
- pathological non- retractible foreskin BXD
- can also have normal non-retractible foreskin
- hypospadias
What is hypospadias?
- urethra is lower down
- foreskin missing on the underneath of the penis
- penis curves when erected
- undescended testes
Mx = surgery + sometimes combined with circumcision
Define: congenital adrenal hyperplasia
- congenital deficiency of 21 hydroxyls enzyme
- enzyme is responsible for converting progesterone into aldosterone, cortisol and makes testosterone
- underproduction of cortisol + aldosterone (as no enzyme)
- over production of androgens form birth (this doesn’t need the enzyme so more testosterone is produced)
autosomal recessive
Presentation: severe congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Females present with ambiguous genitalia = enlarged clitoris
More severe present with
- hyponatraemia
- hyperkalaemia
- hypoglycaemia
presentation in mild congenital adrenal hyperplasia?
Female patients:
Tall for their age
Facial hair
Absent periods
Deep voice
Early puberty
Male patients:
Tall for their age
Deep voice
Large penis
Small testicles
Early puberty
Management: congenital adrenal hyperplasia
- Cortisol replacement = hydrocortisone, similar to treatment for adrenal insufficiency
- Aldosterone replacement = usually with fludrocortisone
- Female patients with “virilised” genitals may require corrective surgery
Define: hydrocele
collection of fluid within the tunics vaginalis that surrounds the testes
What are the
simple hydrocele
= common in newborns, fluid is trapped in tunica vaginalis
- fluid gets reabsorbed over time
Communicating hydrocele
- tunic vaginalis around the testicle is connected with the peritoneal cavity via a pathway called the processes vaginalis > so fluid can travel from peritoneal cavity into hydrocele
Investigation: hydrocele
Transillumination not as effective on children
Feel if there is a gap between the top of the testes and the inguinal canal ‘can get above it’
(compared to a hernia where its coming out from the inguinal ring so no gap)
What are the key differential diagnoses of a scrotal or inguinal swelling in a neonate?
Hydrocele
Partially descended testes
Inguinal hernia
Testicular torsion
Haematoma
Tumours (rare)
Management: hydrocele
USS
simple hydroceles resolve on their own within 2 yrs
Communicating = surgical operation to remove or lager the connection between peritoneal cavity and hydrocele
Its it normal for children to have enlarged lymph nodes and what are the red flags?
- normal in children as exposed to so many infections and illnesses
red flags:
>2cm
inflamed >2/52
growing
What are the features of Thyroglossal cyst?
- moves when sticks tongue out
- lump in centre of neck
- embryological cause
- surgical removal = remove centre part of hyoid bone to prevent recurrence
What is a Branchial cleft remanants?
- embryological cause
- lined with resp epithelium so secret a white fluid
- surgery to remove them as can cause infection
What are dermoid cysts?
- fold of skin under the surface
- embryological
- continue to grow
- remove so they don’t keep enlarging
if on the midline = need CT or MRI first to ensure not involved with CSF
What is granuloma and omphalitis?
- infection of the umbilicus
- lay over the umbilical vein > portal vein
- can spread into liver and then into systemic system
What are the features of an umbilical hernia?
- no worry because bowel does not get trapped
- most resolve by 4 yrs of age
Are undescended testes common and are they palpable?
in 5% of boys
most resolve by 6 months
80% palpable
impalpable
- never developed
- intrabdominal = cannot examine,
- ectopic
What are the risk factors for undescended testes?
Family history of undescended testes
Low birth weight
Small for gestational age
Prematurity
Maternal smoking during pregnancy
Management: undescended testes
- watch + wait for most till 6 months
- surgery = orchidopexy between 6-12 months
Define: Downs syndrome
3 copies of chromosome 21
- trisomy 21
Presentation: Downs syndrome
Hypotonia (reduced muscle tone)
Brachycephaly (small head with a flat back)
Short neck
Short stature
Flattened face and nose
Prominent epicanthic folds
Upward sloping palpebral fissures
Single palmar crease
What are the complications of Downs syndrome?
- Learning disability
- Recurrent otitis media
- Deafness. Eustachian tube abnormalities lead to glue ear and conductive hearing loss.
- Visual problems such myopia, strabismus and cataracts
- Hypothyroidism occurs in 10 – 20%
- Cardiac defects affect 1 in 3, particularly ASD, VSD, patent ductus arteriosus and tetralogy of Fallot
- Atlantoaxial instability
- Leukaemia is more common in children with Down’s
- Dementia is more common in adults with Down’s
What antenatal screening is available for Down’s syndrome?
Offered to all women to decide whether the women should receive more invasive tests for a definitive diagnosis
- Combined Test
- 11-14 weeks
- USS measure nuchal translucency = thickness of back of neck DS >6mm
- Maternal blood tests
= beta- human chorionic gonadotrophin (beta-HCG). A higher result indicates a greater risk.
= Pregnancy‑associated plasma protein‑A (PAPPA). A lower result indicates a greater risk. - triple test
14 - 20 weeks
- Beta-HCG = HIGHER result indicates greater risk.
- Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) = LOWER result indicates a greater risk.
- Serum oestriol (female sex hormone) = LOWER result indicates a greater risk. - Quadruple Test
14 -20 weeks
- an additional test to add on to triple test
- Inhibin- A test = HIGHER result indicates greater risk
What antenatal testing is available for Downs Syndrome?
Screening test provide a risk score for the foetus having Down’s syndrome = risk greater than 1 in 150
- woman is offered amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling
- Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
- involves an ultrasound guided biopsy of the placental tissue.
- This is used when testing is done earlier in pregnancy (before 15 weeks). - Amniocentesis
- involves ultrasound guided aspiration of some amniotic fluid using a needle and syringe.
- This is later in pregnancy once there is enough amniotic fluid to make it safer to take a sample.
What non-invasive prenatal testing is offered for Down’s syndrome?
Blood test
- contains fragments of DNA some of which will come from the placenta tissue
- can be analysed and detect conditions
not definitive