Thyroid Pathology Flashcards
Are thyroids larger in men or women
Women
What is the thyroid composed of
Follicles- each follicle is surrounded by flat to cuboidal follicular epithelial cells
What is contained within the centre of each follicle
Thyroglobulin
What do C Cells (parafollicular cells) secrete
calcitonin
What are some embryological abnormalities of the thyroid
Failure of descent (lingual thyroid)
excessive descent (mediastinal mass)
Thyroglossal duct cyst
What are the amin 4 things that can go wrong with the thyroid
Hyperthyroidism
Hypothyroidism
Goitre
Neoplasia
What are the triad of features in Grave’s disease
Hyperthyroidism with diffuse enlargement of the thyroid
Eye changes (exophthalmos)
Pretibial myxoedema
What genes are affected by Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
CTLA-4
PTPN-22
What does PTPN-22 do?
inhibits T cell function
What does CTLA-4 do ?
Negative regulator of T cell responses
What might Hashimoto’s thyroiditis be preceded by
transient hyper function (hashitoxicosis)
What is a goitre
any enlargement of the thyroid gland
What is the most common form of thyroid cancer
Papillary
What is a relatively rare cancerous tumour in the thyroid
Medullary THyroid Carcinoma
What does medullary carcinoma have an association with
amyloid
What is the treatment for a medullar carcinoma
Total thyroidectomy
Who are at risk of developing an anapaestic carcinoma
Usually older patients
People with a history of differentiated thyroid cancer
What can anapaestic carcinoma be mimicked by
An inflammatory condition
What are parathyroid glands composed of ?
chief cells
What do chief cells do
secrete PTH
act on Ca homeostasis
What are the parathyroid glands supported by
oxyphil cells
What can hyperplasia be associated with
both MENI and MENIIa
How does secondary hyperparathyroidism occur
chronic hypocalcaemia cuases compensatory over activity of the parathyroid glands
How does tertiary hyperparathyroidism occur
parathyroid activity becomes autonomous
