Posts Tagged ‘endocrine’
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism is an elevation in the serum thyroid hormones T3 and T4 (thyroxine), caused by excess thyroid hormone production from the thyroid gland. This can result from an abnormal thyroid gland (primary hyperthyroidism) or increased synthesis of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) by the anterior pituitary gland (secondary hyperthyroidism) or by overdosing on thyroid medication (exogenous…
Read MoreThyroid Diagnosis: Putting It All Together
In your reading about thyroid diseases, you have run across a number of symptoms, physical exam findings, tests, and diagnostic strategies. You have also encountered the diagnostic overlap between the various syndromes and diseases like hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Graves disease, and thyroiditis, which can be confusing. How can you keep all this straight? The purpose of…
Read MoreDiabetic Ketoacidosis
*** Rx Bricks Season Pass https://go.usmle-rx.com/brick-season-pass/ *** Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is one of the most dreaded acute complications of diabetes mellitus. It is a medical emergency. When patients with DKA arrive at the emergency department, they are clearly ill, with vomiting, diarrhea, disordered breathing, and mental status changes—even unconsciousness. Up to 2% of patients with…
Read MoreChronic Complications of Diabetes Mellitus
*** Rx Bricks Season Pass https://go.usmle-rx.com/brick-season-pass/ *** Some of the most dreaded chronic complications of diabetes mellitus come from injury to the blood vessels. Such injury may lead to blindness, renal failure requiring dialysis, and early death from heart attacks. These complications develop slowly over years and can be divided into two groups based…
Read MoreCushing Syndrome
Cushing syndrome is a cluster of clinical features resulting from exposure to excess glucocorticoids (hypercortisolism). Most of the abnormalities in Cushing syndrome are caused by high levels of cortisol itself, but an accompanying excess of androgens and mineralocorticoids like aldosterone may also add to the syndrome. Cortisol is produced continuously in the adrenal gland. It…
Read MoreType 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Type 1 diabetes mellitus, previously known as juvenile diabetes, is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood. The pathophysiology of type 1 diabetes begins with autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing β cells in the islets of Langerhans, thus leading to insulin deficiency. A crucial role of insulin is to increase glucose uptake into…
Read MoreDiabetes Melllitus: Foundations and Frameworks
Blood glucose is proof that you can have too much of a good thing. While glucose serves a critical role as fuel for many of our bodily functions, it must remain in a very tightly controlled range. If the level goes too low, you can fall into a coma. If glucose is too high, damage…
Read MoreStructure and Function of the Pituitary Gland
In this episode, we dig into the Endocrine collection of Rx Bricks to explore the structure and function of the pituitary gland. Learning Objectives: Describe the location and gross appearance of the pituitary gland. Describe the histologic appearance of the anterior and posterior lobes, and list the hormones produced by each. Discuss the embryologic origins…
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