Exam 1-Endocrine Flashcards
Get an A
What are the three types of cell signaling?
paracrine, autocrine and endocrine
What are the three general disruptions of the endocrine system?
impaired hormone release/synthesis, abnormal reactions between hormones and target tissue, and abnormal response of target tissue
What can mass lesions cause?
under or overproduction of hormones or be nonfunctional
What are the lobs of the pituitary gland?
anterior lobe(adenohypophysis)-80% and posterior lobe(neurohypophysis)-20% of gland
What three cell types make up the anterior pituitary?
basophils, acidohpils and chromophobes (call can secrete each hormone)
What are the 6 major cell types of the anterior pituitary and what do they secrete?
somatotrophs-GH mammosomatotrophs- GH and prolactin(PRL) lactotrophs- PRL corticotrophs- ACTH, POMC, MSH thyrotrophs- TSH gonadtrophs- LH, FSH
determined by transcription factors
What is produced in the posterior pituitary?
ADH(VPN) and oxytocin
What is involved with hyperpituitarism?
excess trophic hormones, from adenomas, hyperplasia and carcinomas of the anterior pituitary or by from non pituitary tumors or hypothalamic disorders
What is involved with hypopituitarism?
deficiency in trophic hormones from destructive processes like ischemia, surgery or radiation, inflammation and nonfunctional pituitary adenomas
What is involved with local mass effect?
radiologic abnormalities in sella turcica, including expansion, bony erosion and disruption of the diaphragma sella, can compress optic chiasm(bitemporal hemianopisa), increased ICP or hemorrhage into the adenoma, pituitary apoplexy, emergency if acute
What is the most common cause of hyperpituitarism? and other causes?
anterior lobe adenoma-secrete 2 hormones: most common secretions are GH and PRL, but others can be plurihormonal
less common: pituitary carcinoma and hypothalamic disorders
the larger ones can cause mass effect thus causing hypopituitarism through ischemia
What are the demographics for pituitary adenomas?
35-60yo adults, non-functioning adenomas come to light later than functioning due to lack of endocrine response
What is the sizing of pituitary adenomas?
less than 1 cm = microadenoma
1-4cm = macroadenoma
over 4cm = giant adenoma
What genetics abnormalities are associated with pituitary adenomas?
G-protein mutations, GNAS mutation found in 40% of somatatroph adenomas but rarely in corticotroph adenomas, GNAS inhibits GTPase activity thus GDP cannot bind and inhibit the alpha subunit
Which pituitary adenoma is most common?
lactotroph adenoma in 30% of cases with hyperfunctioning pituitary, can have substantial mass affect
What is the morphology of prolactinomas?
chromophobic sparsely granulated (most common) due to inclusions of PIT-1 near the nuclei only, or acidophilic densely granulated (rare) where the cytoplasm is overwhelmed by the inclusions,
these adenomas can undergo calcification and give psamomma bodies throughout the entire mass leaving a “pituitary stone”, even microadenomas can cause hyperprolactinemia, level correlates with size
What is the presentation of lactotroph adenomas? More specifically between M/F?
more readily Dx in women than men due to amenorrhea mostly between 20-40yo, tumor is usually larger in males due to this late finding,
women show amennorhea, galactorrhea, diminshied libido, infertility and amss effect, Men present with mainly mass effect Sx and also decreased sperm count and libido
What can cause hyperprolactinemia without an adenoma?
pregnancy, lactation/nipple stimulation, stress, loss of dopamine-> lactotroph hyperplasia via stroke, trauma or drugs, masses-decrease dopamine release, renal failure- decreased PRL clearance and hypothyroidism-TSH can stimulate PRL
What is the treatment for lactotroph adenomas?
surgery or dopamine agonists- bromocriptine
What is the second most common pituitary adenoma?
somatotroph adenoma, secretes GH
What are the two major findings in somatatroph adenomas?
gigantism in children and acromegaly in adults
What are the morphological findings in somatotroph adenomas?
densely granulated acidophilc cells and sparsely granulated chromophobe cells which have GH inclusions similar to lactotroph adenomas; while there is also a bihormonal mammosomatotroph variant which secrets GH and PRL and typipcally are densely granulated but rare
What is the presentation of gigantism and acromegaly?
gigantism is found when IGF-1 levels are high in children before epiphyseal plates are fused and are typically very tall people, while the findings of both can overlap if the levels stay high after fusion, acrogmegaly shows up as large jaws, hands and noses with coarse facial features, as well as shortened lifespans and CV disease leading to death
How are GH excess pituitary tumors diagnosed?
IGF-1 levels since this is the stable byproduct of GH from the liver, followed by oral glucose tolerance test if elevated which should decrease GH in the blood under normal circumstances