Notes in 2) Pituitary Gland

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Published	06/12/2025	Which bony structure houses the pituitary gland at the base of the brain?
Published	06/12/2025	What dural membrane does the pituitary stalk pass through to connect with the hypothalamus?
Published	06/12/2025	Which structure lies directly superior to the pituitary gland and is often compressed by pituitary tumors?
Published	06/12/2025	What structure lies anterior to the pituitary gland and provides a common surgical approach to pituitary tumors?
Published	06/12/2025	What structures lie lateral to the pituitary gland that can be impacted by an expanding pituitary tumor, causing cranial nerve palsies?
Published	06/12/2025	In which embryological tissue does the anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis) originate?
Published	06/12/2025	From which embryological tissue does the posterior pituitary (neurohypophysis) develop?
Published	06/12/2025	What type of ectodermal invagination forms Rathke’s pouch?
Published	06/12/2025	Name the benign tumor derived from remnants of Rathke’s pouch commonly seen in children with calcifications and bitemporal hemianopsia.
Published	06/12/2025	What is the typical age association that helps distinguish craniopharyngioma from pituitary adenoma?
Published	06/12/2025	What is the largest part of the anterior pituitary where most hormone-producing cells reside?
Published	06/12/2025	Which lobe of the pituitary is comprised mainly of axon terminals from the hypothalamus and is not a true endocrine gland?
Published	06/12/2025	Which artery primarily supplies the posterior pituitary?
Published	06/12/2025	How does the anterior pituitary receive most of its blood supply?
Published	06/12/2025	In what situation might a surgeon choose a trans-sphenoidal approach?
Published	06/12/2025	Which histological cell category in the anterior pituitary stains pink/red (with acidic dyes) and includes somatotrophs & lactotrophs?
Published	06/12/2025	Which two hormones are secreted by the acidophils? (Mnemonic: GPA)
Published	06/12/2025	Basophils in the anterior pituitary produce which set of hormones? (Mnemonic: B-FLAT)
Published	06/12/2025	What are chromophobes in the anterior pituitary?
Published	06/12/2025	Which cells in the posterior pituitary support the unmyelinated axons coming from the hypothalamus?
Published	06/12/2025	Which structure in the posterior pituitary stores secretory granules of ADH and oxytocin?
Published	06/12/2025	Name the two major hormones released by the posterior pituitary.
Published	06/12/2025	Which hypothalamic nuclei synthesize ADH and oxytocin?
Published	06/12/2025	What is the classic mnemonic for anterior pituitary hormones?
Published	06/12/2025	What is the primary physiologic role of prolactin?
Published	06/12/2025	How does prolactin affect GnRH secretion?
Published	06/12/2025	Which neurotransmitter tonically inhibits prolactin release?
Published	06/12/2025	Why can pituitary stalk compression lead to elevated prolactin levels?
Published	06/12/2025	High TRH (as in primary hypothyroidism) can have what effect on prolactin levels?
Published	06/12/2025	Which hormone is measured to evaluate the growth-promoting effects of GH?
Published	06/12/2025	Which hormone from the hypothalamus inhibits GH release?
Published	06/12/2025	In adults, GH excess causes which clinical syndrome?
Published	06/12/2025	What test is used to diagnose GH excess by assessing if glucose can suppress GH levels?
Published	06/12/2025	ACTH is derived from which larger precursor peptide?
Published	06/12/2025	What is the main negative feedback regulator of ACTH secretion?
Published	06/12/2025	High ACTH in primary adrenal insufficiency causes what characteristic skin finding?
Published	06/12/2025	If Cushing syndrome is due to a pituitary adenoma (Cushing disease), how will cortisol respond to a high-dose dexamethasone test?
Published	06/12/2025	Which cells produce TSH in the anterior pituitary?
Published	06/12/2025	If both T3/T4 and TSH are elevated, which rare type of pituitary adenoma might you suspect?
Published	06/12/2025	Which gonadotropins are released by the anterior pituitary to regulate ovaries/testes?
Published	06/12/2025	What is the difference in gonadotropin secretion between a pulsatile vs. continuous GnRH signal?
Published	06/12/2025	What hormone do Sertoli cells produce to selectively inhibit FSH?
Published	06/12/2025	Which postpartum condition involves infarction of the pituitary due to obstetric hemorrhage, leading to inability to lactate and pituitary failure?
Published	06/12/2025	What is the usual first hormone lost in developing hypopituitarism due to a pituitary mass?
Published	06/12/2025	Central diabetes insipidus arises from a deficiency of which hormone?
Published	06/12/2025	Nephrogenic DI is caused by what fundamental defect?
Published	06/12/2025	Which test distinguishes central vs. nephrogenic DI by administering desmopressin?
Published	06/12/2025	Which hormone from the posterior pituitary is involved in uterine contractions and milk ejection?
Published	06/12/2025	Which feedback mechanism does oxytocin use during labor to enhance uterine contractions?
Published	06/12/2025	Which pituitary adenoma subtype is most common, often causing amenorrhea, galactorrhea, and infertility in women?
Published	06/12/2025	What is the first-line treatment for prolactinomas?
Published	06/12/2025	In GH-secreting adenomas causing acromegaly, what medication can suppress GH release?
Published	06/12/2025	When a pituitary tumor produces excess ACTH, what is the specific term for this condition?
Published	06/12/2025	What visual field defect typically occurs when a pituitary macroadenoma compresses the optic chiasm?
Published	06/12/2025	What acute emergency can happen when a pituitary tumor suddenly bleeds, causing severe headache and potential hypopituitarism?
Published	06/12/2025	What immediate treatment is critical in pituitary apoplexy to prevent acute adrenal insufficiency?
Published	06/12/2025	Which condition involves a pituitary mass that does not secrete active hormones and often presents with headaches, bitemporal hemianopsia, and mild hy…
Published	06/12/2025	What phenomenon explains mild prolactin elevations (e.g., 30–150 ng/mL) in non-prolactin-secreting pituitary tumors?
Published	06/12/2025	What type of tumor should you suspect if a child presents with growth failure, bitemporal hemianopsia, and a calcified suprasellar mass?
Published	06/12/2025	In SIADH, the patient is typically euvolemic but has low serum sodium. What happens to urine osmolarity?
Published	06/12/2025	Name a classic paraneoplastic cause of SIADH.
Published	06/12/2025	What is the mainstay of initial treatment for SIADH if the patient is asymptomatic with mild hyponatremia?
Published	06/12/2025	What complication can arise if serum sodium is corrected too rapidly in chronic hyponatremia?
Published	06/12/2025	Which postpartum disorder features autoimmune inflammation of the pituitary but may mimic Sheehan syndrome?
Published	06/12/2025	In primary empty sella syndrome, what patient demographic is commonly affected?
Published	06/12/2025	What do the adrenal glands look like in secondary adrenal insufficiency due to pituitary ACTH deficiency?
Published	06/12/2025	Which hormone must be replaced first in severe hypopituitarism before giving thyroid hormone?
Published	06/12/2025	A postpartum mother can’t produce milk and fails to resume menses after a complicated hemorrhage. Which pituitary pathology is likely?
Published	06/12/2025	A 15-year-old boy with anosmia and absent puberty likely has low GnRH. Which syndrome is this?
Published	06/12/2025	In Addison disease (primary adrenal insufficiency), why is ACTH high and what skin manifestation can appear?
Published	06/12/2025	Which hormone is inhibited by high prolactin levels, leading to amenorrhea and infertility?
Published	06/12/2025	In diagnosing Cushing syndrome, why do we perform a low-dose dexamethasone suppression test first?
Published	06/12/2025	A patient with hyperthyroidism symptoms but inappropriately high TSH points to which pituitary pathology?
Published	06/12/2025	Which pituitary cell type is the largest population in the pars distalis?
Published	06/12/2025	In central diabetes insipidus, administration of desmopressin will do what to urine output and osmolarity?
Published	06/12/2025	In nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, why might a thiazide diuretic paradoxically help reduce polyuria?
Published	06/12/2025	What hormone deficiency is suspected if postpartum women cannot initiate or sustain lactation?
Published	06/12/2025	Explain why SIADH typically does not cause edema despite fluid retention.
Published	06/12/2025	Which syndrome features hypernatremia, polyuria, and polydipsia with low urine osmolarity that does not correct with fluid restriction?
Published	06/12/2025	In Addison disease vs. secondary (pituitary) adrenal insufficiency, which has hyperpigmentation?
Published	06/12/2025	How does a pituitary adenoma typically appear on histology compared to normal pituitary tissue?
Published	06/12/2025	Which pathology can cause postpartum hemorrhage, acute hypotension, and pituitary infarction leading to adrenal insufficiency and lactation failure?
Published	06/12/2025	Which hormone from the anterior pituitary is most directly inhibited by somatostatin analogs such as octreotide?
Published	06/12/2025	Why might women with hyperprolactinemia present with vaginal dryness and low bone density?
Published	06/12/2025	Which hormone is crucial for parturition (labor) and postpartum uterine involution, helping reduce postpartum bleeding?
Published	06/12/2025	Which part of the pituitary is typically spared in Sheehan syndrome, making diabetes insipidus less common?
Published	06/12/2025	Which type of pituitary adenoma might present in older adults with hyperthyroidism and elevated TSH?
Published	06/12/2025	Name one exogenous agent that can cause nephrogenic DI by interfering with the kidney’s response to ADH.
Published	06/12/2025	Which hormone is often co-secreted with ACTH from POMC and can cause skin hyperpigmentation?
Published	06/12/2025	Which condition is associated with infiltration of pituitary/hypothalamic tissue by immune cells postpartum, sometimes mimicking a tumor?
Published	06/12/2025	Why must you rule out pregnancy in a reproductive-age female with high prolactin and amenorrhea?
Published	06/12/2025	What is the size cutoff that distinguishes a pituitary microadenoma from a macroadenoma?
Published	06/12/2025	Name three infiltrative or granulomatous conditions that can cause hypopituitarism by damaging the pituitary or hypothalamus.
Published	06/12/2025	Which infiltrative disease is known as “bronze diabetes” and can deposit iron in the pituitary, commonly affecting gonadotropin secretion first?
Published	06/12/2025	Which syndrome can feature DI + exophthalmos + lytic bone lesions and sometimes pituitary/hypothalamic damage in children?
Published	06/12/2025	What specialized procedure is used if a pituitary source of ACTH is suspected but the adenoma is not visible on MRI?
Published	06/12/2025	What is the distinction between “Cushing disease” and “Cushing syndrome”?
Published	06/12/2025	Which subunits are shared among TSH, LH, FSH, and hCG, and which subunit confers specificity?
Published	06/12/2025	During which stage of sleep does the majority of GH release typically occur?
Published	06/12/2025	What is the classic triad of Hand–Schüller–Christian disease (a form of Langerhans cell histiocytosis) in children?
Published	06/12/2025	In Addison’s disease (primary adrenal insufficiency), why do we see hyperpigmentation but not in secondary adrenal insufficiency?
Published	06/12/2025	Why might inferior petrosal sinus ACTH levels be significantly higher than peripheral levels in pituitary-dependent Cushing disease?
Published	06/12/2025	Which alpha-subunit elevation on labs can hint at a TSH-secreting or gonadotroph adenoma rather than a prolactinoma?
Published	06/12/2025	Name the most common types of functioning pituitary adenomas in descending order of frequency.
Published	06/12/2025	Which ‘cleft cyst’ in the pars intermedia (a remnant of Rathke’s pouch) can occasionally enlarge and cause mass effect?
Published	06/12/2025	Which postpartum pituitary pathology is triggered by autoimmune inflammation and can mimic a tumor on MRI?
Published	06/12/2025	What is the typical cause of postpartum hemorrhage leading to Sheehan syndrome?
Published	06/12/2025	Which second peak of incidence may craniopharyngiomas have, beyond childhood?
Published	06/12/2025	What is the distinctive gross pathology finding in some craniopharyngiomas?
Published	06/12/2025	How does hyperprolactinemia typically present in men, making it less likely to be caught early?
Published	06/12/2025	Which immune-related condition can cause hypothalamic/pituitary granulomas, sometimes leading to DI or hypopituitarism?
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