Endocrine System Physiology: Acromegaly and Pituitary Gland

Flashcards about endocrine system physiology based on lecture notes.

What were the presenting symptoms of the 27-year-old woman in the case study?

Persistent headache and amenorrhea, increased foot size, and lower jaw protrusion.

What were the key lab findings and X-ray observations that led to the diagnosis of acromegaly?

Elevated growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and prolactin (PRL) levels, enlargement of the pituitary fossa, and thickening of the heel pad.

What is the primary cause of acromegaly?

A pituitary tumor causing hypersecretion of growth hormone (GH) in adults.

How does acromegaly affect bone growth in adults?

The jaw and other facial bones become disproportionately large, as do the bones of the hands and feet.

What are the primary treatments for acromegaly?

Surgical removal of the tumor or its destruction by radiation.

List some of the symptoms of acromegaly

Increases visual field defect, size of shoes/ring, Glycaemia, Goiter, Hypertension, Headache, Large ear, nose and large tongue and Mandibular prognatism.

Where is the pituitary gland located?

A small endocrine gland located in a bony cavity at the base of the brain just below the hypothalamus.

What are the two anatomically and functionally distinct lobes of the pituitary gland?

The posterior pituitary (neurohypophysis) and the anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis).

Name the Hormones of the Anterior Pituitary Gland

Growth hormone (GH), Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), Luteinizing hormone (LH) and Prolactin

Describe the pathway of releasing hormones from the hypothalamus to the anterior pituitary.

Hypothalamus -> Hypophyseal portal system ->Anterior pituitary.

How Growth hormone (GH) secretion is regulated?

GHRH stimulates secretion, GHIH inhibits secretion

Name the Hormones of the Posterior Pituitary Gland

ADH and Oxytocin

How Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) secretion is regulated?

Decreased water content in the body

How Oxytocin secretion is regulated?

Nerve impulses from hypothalamus, the result of stretching of cervix or stimulation of nipple