Endocrine Conditions Flashcards
(99 cards)
What is the difference between primary and secondary thyroid disorders?
Primary - due to damage/disease of the thyroid
Secondary - due to damage/disease of the hypothalamus or pituitary
What is hypothyroidism?
Thyroid gland doe not produce enough thyroxine
What are the causes of hypothyroidism?
- Autoimmune (atrophic or Hashimoto’s thyroiditis=lymphocyte infiltration)
- Iodine deficiency
- post-thyroidectomy
- thyroiditis
What are the symptoms of hypothyroidism?
- tiredness/lethargy
- weight gain
- depressed mood
- constipations
- weakness
- cold intolerance
What are the signs of hypothyroidism?
- Bradycardia
- slow relaxing reflexes
- ataxia (lack of voluntary control of muscle movements)
- dry skin
- yawning
- cold hands
- ascites
- round puffy face
- poor movement
- goitre
What is the treatment for hypothyroidism?
Levoxythyroxine.
-check and monitor levels
What is hyperthyroidism?
Overactive thyroid gland produces too much T4
What are the causes of hyperthyroidism?
- Grave’s disease (IgG antibodies bind to TSH receptors on thyroid gland)
- toxic multi/solitary nodular goitre
- ectopic thyroid tissue
What are the symptoms of hyperthyroidism?
- weight loss
- sweating
- diarrhoea
- increase appetite
- heat intolerance
- malaise
- tremor
- overactive
- irritability
- stiffness
What are the signs of hyperthyroidism?
- tachycardia
- tremor
- hyperkinesia
- warm vasodilated peripheries
- goitre
- fast/irregular pulse
What must you do before treatment?
Must get biochemical confirmation before treatment
- raised T4/3
- suppressed TSH (usually)
- IgG antibodies to TSH if Grave’s disease
How is hyperthyroidism treated?
- anti-thyroid drugs (carbimazole)
- radioactive iodine
- thyroidectomy
What are the complication of hyperthyroidism?
- angina
- heart failure
What is goitre?
Swelling in the neck due to enlarged thyroid gland
What are the causes of goitre?
- simple
- autoimmune
- thyroiditis
- nodular
What is acromegaly?
Excessive growth hormone secretion from the pituitary gland
What are the causes of acromegaly?
- tumour
- ectopic GH-releasing hormone
What are the symptoms of acromegaly?
- increased ring and hat size
- large tongue
- increased sweating
- loss of libido
- weight gain
- tiredness
- headaches
What are the signs of acromegaly?
- prognathism (jaw protudes forward)
- interdental seperation
- thick greasy skin
How is acromegaly diagnosed?
- glucose tolerance test (GH not decrease despite high glucose)
- IGF-1 levels (raised)
How is acromegaly treated?
- transphenoidal surgery to remove the pituitary tumour
- somatostatin analogues (somatostatin inhibits GH secretion)
- GH receptor antagonist
- radiotherapy
- dopamine agonists
What are the complications of acromegaly?
- impaired glucose tolerance (DM in 15%)
- increased blood pressure
- LV hypertrophy
- cardiomyopathy
- arrhythmias
- neoplasia
What is Addison’s disease?
Primary hypoadrenalism. The adrenal cortex does not produce enough mineralcortcoid, glucocorticoid or sexsteroid
What are the causes of Addison’s disease?
- autoimmune (80%)
- TB
- adrenal metastases
- lymphoma
- adrenal haemorrhage