Pituitary and Thyroid Gland Quiz

Pituitary Gland and Thyroid Gland: Key Points

• Autopsy studies show that pituitary incidentalomas are found in 15-27% of individuals, suggesting a prevalence of 10-15% of all intracranial tumors.
• Pituitary masses can be microadenomas (less than 1cm) or macroadenomas (larger than 1cm).
• Pituitary masses can cause clinical symptoms due to their effect on adjacent structures such as the hypothalamus, optic nerves, cavernous sinus, temporal lobes, and sphenoid sinus.
• The direction of adenoma growth in the pituitary can affect neighboring structures, leading to symptoms such as blindness, headache, pituitary hormone deficiency, disconjugate gaze, drooping eyelid, pupil abnormality, facial pain, nosebleed, and posterior pharyngeal mass.
• Large pituitary adenomas can extend downward through the sphenoid sinus into the oropharynx.
• Posterior pituitary hypofunction can be caused by anything that destroys the neuron extending from the hypothalamus to the posterior pituitary, such as large pituitary tumors, trauma, pituitary surgery, infection/inflammation.
• Posterior pituitary hypofunction can lead to diabetes insipidus, characterized by very dilute urine, extreme thirst, dehydration, fatigue, headache, and lethargy. Treatment includes DDAVP.
• Anterior pituitary hypofunction can result in low levels of growth hormone, adrenal hormones, thyroid hormone, and sex hormones. Causes include congenital defects, tumors, apoplexy.
• GH deficiency in children can lead to short stature and other developmental issues. Treatment involves supplemental growth hormone.
• Pituitary adenomas can hypersecrete specific hormones, such as prolactin, ACTH, GH, TSH, LH/FSH. Non-secreting pituitary adenomas are also common.
• Acromegaly is characterized by excess secretion of GH and IGF-1. Before puberty, it leads to gigantism, while after puberty, it causes acromegaly. Dental concerns in acromegaly include malocclusion, increased space between teeth, increased growth of retropharyngeal soft tissues, hypercementosis.
• Thyroid gland functions include growth, development, metabolism in children, and metabolism in adults. TSH stimulates production of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4). Thyroid nodules and goiter can cause obstruction of the trachea and blood vessels, leading to symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, facial plethora, and distended neck veins. Hypothyroidism is more common in women and can cause fatigue, weight gain, constipation, facial puffiness, cold intolerance. Causes include autoimmune disease, surgery, radiation. Treatment aims to keep TSH in the

Test your knowledge on the pituitary gland and thyroid gland with this informative quiz! Learn about pituitary masses, their clinical symptoms, and the effects they can have on neighboring structures. Explore the causes and symptoms of posterior and anterior pituitary hypofunction, as well as the hypersecretion of specific hormones. Discover the functions of the thyroid gland, the symptoms of thyroid nodules and goiter, and the causes and treatment of hypothyroidism. Challenge yourself and expand your understanding