Station 5 Flashcards
Ix of Sickle cell disease/ crisis?
- Blood tests: low Hb; high WCC and CRP; renal impairment; sickling on blood film
- CXR: linear atelectasis in a chest crisis; cardiomegaly: cardiac size proportional to degree of longstanding anaemia
- Urinalysis: microscopic haematuria if renal involvement in crisis
- Arterial blood gas: type I respiratory failure
- Echocardiogram: dilated right ventricle with impaired systolic function; raised peak
tricuspid regurgitant velocity: abnormal range for sickle cell patients is lower than other populations; i.e. >2.7 m/s abnormal - Computed tomography pulmonary angiography: linear atelectasis with patchy
consolidation ± acute pulmonary embolism
Acute Treatment of sickle cell crisis?
- Oxygen ± continuous positive airways pressure
- Intravenous fluids
- Analgesia
- Antibiotics if evidence of infection
- Blood transfusion/exchange transfusion depending on degree of anaemia and severity of crisis
Long term chronic management of sickle cell disease?
- Hydroxycarbamide or exchange transfusion programme if frequent crises or other features suggestive of a poor prognosis
- Long‐term treatment with folic acid and penicillin as patient will have features of hyposplenism
- May need further investigation of possible pulmonary hypertension if raised peak tricuspid regurgitant velocity, including right heart catheterization, after the acute event
Prognosis of sickle cell disease?
- HbSS ≈40–50 years old
- Worse prognosis with frequent chest crises or following development of pulmonary hypertension
Examination findings of sickle cell patient +/- crisis?
- Fever
- Dyspnoeic
- Jaundice
- Pale conjunctiva
- Raised JVP, pansystolic murmur loudest at left sternal edge (tricuspid regurgitation 2’ PH)
- Reduced chest expansion due to pain with coarse expiratory crackles
- Small, crusted ulcers on lower third of legs
- abdo scar suggesting splenectomy, splenomegaly
Features of Addisons disease?
- Fatigue, muscle weakness, low mood, loss of appetite, weight loss, thirst (dehydration) * Darkened skin (Addison’s disease)
- Fainting or cramps
Causes of Addison’s disease (cortisol insufficiency)?
- TB/ mets to adrenal
- Primary autoimmune Addison’s disease (may be assoc hypothyroidism/ T1DM/ vitiligo)
DDx secondary adrenal insufficiency: pituitary adenoma or sudden discontinuation of steroid
Examination findings of patient with known Addison’s disease?
- Medic alert bracelet
- Hyper‐pigmentation: palmar creases, scars, nipples and buccal mucosa
- Postural hypotension
- Visual fields: bitemporal hemianopia (pituitary adenoma)
cause: signs of other associated autoimmune diseases/ TB/ malignancy
What is Addison’s disease?
Primary adrenal insufficiency
- Pigmentation due to a lack of feedback inhibition by cortisol on the pituitary, leading to raised ACTH and melanocyte‐stimulating hormone
- 80%: autoimmune process. Other causes include adrenal metastases, adrenal tuberculosis, amyloidosis, adrenalectomy and Waterhouse–Friederichsen syndrome (meningococcal sepsis and adrenal infarction)
Ix of suspected Addison’s disease?
- 8 am cortisol: likely low (unreliable)
- Short Synacthen test
-> Exclude addison’s disease if cortisol rises to adequate levels - long Synacthen test
-> Diagnose addison’s disease if cortisol does not rise to adequate levels - adrenal imaging (primary) and/or pituitary imaging (secondary) with MRI or CT
Others:
Blood tests: eosinophilia, ↓ Na+ (kidney loss), ↑ K+, ↑ urea (dehydration), ↓ glucose, adrenal autoantibodies (if autoimmune cause), thyroid function tests (hypothyroidism)
CXR: malignancy/TB
Tx of acute adrenal crisis?
- 0.9% saline IV rehydration +++ and glucose
- Hydrocortisone
- Treatment may unmask diabetes insipidus (cortisol is required to excrete a water load)
- Anti‐TB treatment increases the clearance of steroid, therefore higher doses required
Prognosis of addisons disease?
normal life expectancy
Chronic tx of addison’s disease?
- Education: compliance, increase steroid dose if ‘ill’, steroid card, medic alert bracelet * Titrate maintenance hydrocortisone (and fludrocortisone) dose to levels/response
Examination findings of patient with Cushing’s syndrome?
- face: moon‐shaped, hirsute, with acne
- Skin: bruised, thin, with purple striae
- Back: ‘buffalo hump’
- abdomen: centripetal obesity
- legs: wasting (‘lemon on sticks’ body shape) and oedema
common complications of Cushing’s syndrome?
- Hypertension (BP)
- Diabetes mellitus (random blood glucose) * osteoporosis (kyphosis)
- Cellulitis
- proximal myopathy (stand from sitting)
examination findings which can suggest underlying cause of cushings syndrome?
- Exogenous steroids: signs of chronic condition (e.g. RA, COPD) requiring steroids * Endogenous: bitemporal hemianopia and hyperpigmentation (if ACTH ↑)
Cushing’s disease vs Cushings syndrome?
Cushing’s disease: glucocorticoid excess due to ACTH secreting pituitary adenoma
Cushing’s syndrome: the physical signs of glucocorticoid excess
Ix of suspected Cushings?
1. Confirm high cortisol
* 24‐hour urinary collection
* Low dose (for 48 hours) or overnight dexamethasone suppression test
> Suppressed cortisol: alcohol/depression/obesity (‘pseudo‐Cushing’s’)
**2. if elevated cortisol confirmed, then identify cause: **
* ACTH level
-> High: ectopic ACTH secreting tumour or pituitary adenoma
-> low: adrenal adenoma/carcinoma
* MRI pituitary fossa ± adrenal CT ± whole body CT to locate lesion
* Bilateral inferior petrosal sinus vein sampling (best test to confirm pituitary vs
ectopic origin; may also lateralise pituitary adenoma)
* High‐dose dexamethasone suppression test may help >50% suppressed
cortisol: Cushing’s disease
Prognosis of untreated Cushings syndrome?
Untreated Cushing’s syndrome: 50% mortality at 5 years (usually due to accelerated ischaemic heart disease secondary to diabetes and hypertension)
Causes of proximal myopathy?
- inherited:
⚬ Myotonic dystrophy
⚬ Muscular dystrophy - Endocrine:
⚬ Cushing’s syndrome
⚬ Hyperparathyroidism
⚬ Thyrotoxicosis
⚬ Diabetic amyotrophy - inflammatory:
⚬ Polymyositis
⚬ Rheumatoid arthritis - metabolic:
⚬ Osteomalacia (Low Vit D) - malignancy:
⚬ Paraneoplastic
⚬ Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome - Drugs:
⚬ Alcohol
⚬ Steroids
Treatment of Cushings syndrome?
Surgical: Trans‐sphenoidal approach to remove pituitary tumours. Adrenalectomy for adrenal tumours
pituitary irradiation
medical: Metyrapone
What is Nelsons sydrome?
bilateral adrenalectomy (scars) to treat Cushing’s disease, causing massive production of ACTH (and melanocyte‐stimulating hormone), due to lack of feedback inhibition, leading to hyper‐pigmentation and pituitary overgrowth
Causes of macroglossia?
• acromegaly
• Amyloidosis
• Hypothyroidism
• Down’s syndrome
Complications of Acromegaly to look out for?
acanthosis nigricans
Bp ↑*
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Diabetes mellitus*
Enlarged organs
field defect*: bitemporal hemianopia goitre, gastrointestinal malignancy
Heart failure, hirsute, hypopituitary
iGF‐1 ↑
Joint arthropathy
kyphosis
lactation (galactorrhoea)
myopathy (proximal)
(*Signs of active disease)