Exam 5 Review:  Chapter 16:  Pituitary & Thyroid Pathology

 

pituitary dwarfism - Abnormally short stature with normal body proportions caused by a deficiency of growth hormone which may have been due to a genetic syndrome, a pituitary tumor, absence of the pituitary gland, or a trauma.

pituitary gigantism - Gigantism/giantism (excessive growth of the body) due to excessive pituitary secretion of growth hormone occurring before puberty and before epiphyses close, usually due to a tumor secreting excess hGH.

acromegaly - A chronic disease of adults marked by enlargement of the bones of the extremities, face, and jaw with widely spaced teeth, often accompanied by headache and muscle pain and emotional disturbances, which is usually caused by a tumor of the pituitary gland with excess secretion of human growth hormone.

diabetes insipidus - A rare chronic metabolic disorder characterized by intense thirst and excessive urination, caused by a deficiency of the pituitary hormone ADH/vasopressin.

cretinism - A congenital condition caused by a deficiency of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4 ) during prenatal development and characterized in childhood by dwarfed stature accompanied by physical degeneracy and deformity (usually with goiter, thick, flabby, waxy skin and a flattened nose), mental retardation, dystrophy of the bones, and a low basal metabolism; it may be due to inadequate maternal intake of iodine during gestation or due to inappropriate development of the thyroid gland.

myxedema - A condition associated with severe hypothyroidism and lack of thyroid hormone in the adult; symptoms include a dry swelling of the skin, slowed speech and mental awareness, deepened voice, intolerance to cold, fatigue and weakness, and nonspecific degeneration of the heart; most cases result from atrophy of the thyroid from unknown causes, although surgical removal or irradiation of the gland also precipitates the disorder; myxedema is treated by hormone replacement therapy.

Grave's Disease - a disease characterized by an enlarged thyroid, a rapid pulse, nervous excitability, profuse sweating, high blood pressure, irritability, symptoms related to the eyes, and increased basal metabolism due to excessive thyroid secretion; usually caused by autoantibodies to the TSH receptor which mimic the arrival of TSH and thus overstimulate the gland.

exophthalmos - Abnormal protrusion of the eyeball; often a sign of hyperthyroidism

goiter - A noncancerous enlargement of the thyroid gland, visible as a swelling at the front of the neck, that is often associated with iodine deficiency and may be associated with normal, elevated (hyperthyroidism) or decreased (hypothyroidism) thyroid hormone levels (T3 and T4 ) in the blood.

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