Pathoma: Anterior and Posterior Pituitary

Question 1

Which kind of pituitary adenoma is most likely to present with bitemporal hemianopsia?

Answer 1

Nonfunctional, because functional ones would likely be discovered before the mass gets large enough to affect the vision

Question 2

The most common functional pituitary adenoma is _____________.

Answer 2

prolactinoma

Question 3

Contrast the effects of prolactinoma in males and females.

Answer 3

Females: amenorrhea and galactorrhea
Males: decreased libido and headache

Question 4

Growth hormone adenoma often presents with what metabolic complication?

Answer 4

Secondary diabetes (because GH is a counter-regulatory hormone)

Question 5

Hypopituitarism usually only presents after ________________ is lost.

Answer 5

more than 75% of the pituitary parenchyma

Question 6

What is Sheehan syndrome?

Answer 6

The anterior pituitary doubles in size during pregnancy, but the vessel supply does not. The pituitaries of pregnant women are thus at increased risk for infarction. Sheehan’s syndrome occurs when a woman loses a lot of blood during pregnancy and the pituitary infarcts.

Presenting signs of deficient lactation and lack of pubic hair.

Question 7

What test is diagnostic of ADH deficiency?

Answer 7

Inability to concentrate urine upon a water-restriction test