Section 6 Adrenal Gland Reading

Question 1

Causes of hypoadrenocorticism:

Answer 1

adrenal destruction or impairment caused by trauma, autoimmune disease, infectious agents, neoplasia, genetic disease, medications, and iatrogenic

Question 2

Examples of hypoadrenocorticism:

Answer 2

adrenal insufficiency, Addison disease

Question 3

Adrenal dysfunction leads to:

Answer 3

decrease in endogenous corticosteroid levels

Question 4

To what other gland is the adrenal gland linked and how?

Answer 4

pituitary gland, molecular feedback mechanism

Question 5

How is the anterior pituitary gland affected if corticosteroid levels decrease?

Answer 5

stimulated to increase the synthesis and secretion of ACTH, act on adrenal cortex to stimulate corticosteroid production, causes pituitary gland to slow ACTH secretion

Question 6

How is the system affected if low corticosteroid levels persist?

Answer 6

persistent ACTH secretion

Question 7

What gene originates form the same host gene ass ACTH?

Answer 7

alpha-MSH:

Question 8

Functions of alpha-MSH:

Answer 8

stimulation of melanocytes

Question 9

True or False? As ACTH serum levels increase, there is a proportional decrease in the levels of alpha-MSH.

Answer 9

F. proportional increase

Question 10

Clinical manifestation of increased levels of ACTH:

Answer 10

diffuse mucocutaneous pigmentation, patchy melanosis of multiple intraoral mucosal surfaces

Question 11

What is one of the earliest signs of hypoadrenocorticism:

Answer 11

mucacutaneous pigmentation

Question 12

other signs and symptoms connected to hypoadrenocorticism:

Answer 12

easy bruising, fatigue, mood swings, depression, and weakness

Question 13

What ion levels are frequenctly altered in patients with hypoadrenocorticism?

Answer 13

decrease Sodium and increased potassium

Question 14

Clinical test to diagnose hypoadrenocorticism:

Answer 14

serum cortisol levels and electrolyte levels

Question 15

Treatment for hypoadrenocorticism:

Answer 15

steroid replacement therapy

Question 16

Cause of Cushing disease:

Answer 16

primary activating pituitary gland (usually neoplastic) that leads to continuous secretion of ACTH and alpha-MSH into the blood stream

Question 17

True or False? The negative feedback loop is upregulated in Cushing disease.

Answer 17

F. no negative feedback loop

Question 18

Diffuse mucocutaneous pigmentation is one of the first signs of both of these disorders:

Answer 18

Cushing disease and hypoadrenocorticism

Question 19

Levels of what are increased in Cushing disease?

Answer 19

serum corticosteroid levels

Question 20

hypoadrenocorticism is aka:

Answer 20

Cushing syndrome (distinct from Cushing disease)

Question 21

Which can causes which, Cushing disease or Cushing Syndrome?

Answer 21

Cushing disease may be a cause of Cushing Syndrome

Question 22

True or False? All forms of Cushing syndrome are caused by a primary pituitary disease.

Answer 22

F. not all

Question 23

What does Cushing Syndrome result form?

Answer 23

prolonged exposure to high concentrations of endogenous or exogenous corticosteroids

Question 24

Most prevalent cause of Cushing Syndrome:

Answer 24

iatrogenic

Question 25

What can lead to aberrantly high levels of corticosteroids?

Answer 25

primary hyperfunctional adrenal pathology, or neoplasms, including small carcinomas

Question 26

Systemic complications of Cushing disease form excessive ACTH/ alpha-MSH secretion:

Answer 26

increased corticosteroids levels, high levels of GH, weight gain, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, dyslipidemia and the “moon facies”

Question 27

The irregular pattern of the oral pigmentation of Cushing disease are similar to:

Answer 27

that seen in patients with other forms of diffuse or multi-focal hyperpigmentation

Question 28

Diagnosis of Cushing disease:

Answer 28

serum cortisol and ACTH levels