Tarascon Adult Endocrinology
Tarascon Adult Endocrinology
Tarascon Adult Endocrinology
Endocrinology
Pocketbook
Geetha Gopalakrishnan, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Director of Fellowship Program in Diabetes and Endocrinology
Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI
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6048
ABBREVIATIONS IN TEXT
5-HIAA 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid
11OHD 11-hydroxylase deficiency
17-OHP 17-hydroxyprogesterone
17OHD 17-hydroxylase/17, 20-lyase deficiency
18FDG 18-fluorodeoxyglucose
21OHD 21-hydroxylase deficiency
25-OHD 25-hydroxy Vitamin D
3betaHSDD 3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency
4d CT four-dimensional computed tomography
ABCA1 ATP-binding cassette transport A1
ABG arterial blood gas
ACC adrenocortical carcinoma
ACCF American College of Cardiology Foundation
ACEI angiontensin-converting enzyme inhibitor
ACOG American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology
ACTH adrenocorticotropic hormone
ADA American Diabetes Association
ADH antidiuretic hormone
AFC antral follicle counts
AGE advanced glycation end products
AGHD adult-onset growth hormone deficiency
AHA American Heart Association
AI adrenal insufficiency
AIRE “autoimmune regulator” gene
AIT amiodarone-induced hyperthyroidism
AITD autoimmune thyroid disease
AMH antimullerian hormone
APECED autoimmunepolyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal
dystrophy syndrome
APS-1 autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome, type 1
APS(1/2) autoimmune polyglandular syndrome (type 1/2)
AR androgen receptor
ARB angiotensin (II) receptor blocker
ARR aldosterone/renin ratio
ASA aspirin
ATC anaplastic thyroid cancer
ATD antithyroid drugs
IPSS International Prognostic Scoring System
AUS atypia of undetermined significance
AVP arginine vasopressin
AVPR arginine vasopressin receptor
AZF azoospermic factor [AZFa/b/c]
BMD bone mineral density
BMI body mass index
BP blood pressure
BASIC FACTS
• Comprises an anterior lobe (2/3), the posterior lobe (1/3), and vestigial
intermediate lobe
• Situated within the sella turcica that forms the bony roof of the
sphenoid sinus
• Above is the dural diaphragma sella through which the pituitary stalk
connects to the median eminence of the hypothalamus
• Laterally are bone (lower portion) and dura (upper portion) separating
it from the cavernous sinuses through which the 3rd, 4th, and 6th
cranial nerves and internal carotid arteries run
• Development
° The anterior pituitary (adenohypophysis) forms from Rathke’s
pouch, an ectodermal invagination anterior to the roof of the oral
cavity formed by the 4th to 5th week of gestation
° The posterior pituitary (neurohypophysis) arises from neural
ectoderm associated with third ventricle development
° The posterior pituitary consists of axons from cells in the supra-
optic and paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus
• Gland volume enlarges during menstrual cycle and pregnancy
• Blood supply
° Systemic arterial blood supply is provided from the inferior
hypophyseal arteries that are branches from the cavernous internal
carotid and posterior communicating arteries
° Hypophyseal portal vessels, originating from infundibular plexuses
and within the pituitary stalk, together with contractile internal capil-
laries (“gomitoli”) provide both antegrade and retrograde blood flow
■ Ensures bidirectional flow of hypothalamic-pituitary hormonal signals
48565_ST01_001-046.indd 4
HYPOTHALAMUS Thirst center
Osmoreceptor +
CRH TRH G
GnRH GHRH
+ S
SMS SMS Dopamine
+ + + + +
Pituitary Essentials
Pituitary
Corticotroph
p
ph Thyrotroph
ph Gonadotroph
Gooonad
G dootttro
d Somatotroph Lactotroph Oxytocin ADH
Trophic
ACTH
ACT
A T
TH FS
FSH
SH & LH GH
Hormone + + FSH +
+ Prolactin +
Tissue Target
+
BP
Target Teste
TTestes
eess Ovaries + Vomiting
hormone Cortisol
Co
Cortisoll T4 & T3 Testosterone
Testo
T oosstte Estrogen LGF-1
IInhibin
nhib
bin
b Progesterone
FIGURE 1.1 General control of anterior and posterior pituitary function. CRH, corticotrophin releasing hormone; ACTH, adrenocorticotrophin;
TRH, thyrotrophin releasing hormone; SMS, somatostatin; TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone; GnRH, gonadotrophin releasing hormone; FSH,
follicle stimulating hormone; LH, luteinizing hormone; GHRH, growth hormone releasing hormone; GH, growth hormone; IGF-1, insulin-like
growth factor-1; ADH, antidiuretic hormone.
5/1/13 9:35 PM
Pituitary Function 5
PITUITARY FUNCTION
• Posterior pituitary hormones
° Oxytocin
■ Role: regulates parturition, lactation, reproductive behavior
■ Control of release: nipple stimulation, birth canal distension
■ Control of release
■ Role: lactation
■ Control of release
° Mammosomatotrophs
■ Hormone: both PRL and GH
■ Control of release
• Stimulatory: GHRH
• Inhibitory: somatostatin, DA
■ Miscellaneous
■ Control of release
• Stimulatory: CRH
• Inhibitory: cortisol
■ Miscellaneous: basophilic staining
° Thyrotrophs
■ Hormone: thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)
■ Role: thermogenesis
■ Control of release
• Stimulatory: TRH
• Inhibitory: T4 and T3
° Gonadotrophs
■ Hormone: FSH and LH
spermatogenesis
■ Control of release
• Stimulatory: GnRH
• Inhibitory: sex steroids
■ Miscellaneous: follicular stimulating hormone (FSH)/luteinizing
REFERENCES
Anderson E, Haymaker W. Breakthroughs in hypothalamic and pituitary
research. Prog Brain Res, 1974;41:1–60.
Melmed S, ed. The Pituitary. 2nd ed. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell; 2002.
Wass J, Shalet S, eds. The Oxford Textbook of Endocrinology & Diabetes.
New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2002.
BACKGROUND
• Clinical syndrome of partial or complete deficiency of anterior and/or
posterior pituitary hormones due to pituitary or hypothalamic disorders
• Incidence 4.2 per 100,000 per year; prevalence 45.5 cases per 100,000
people
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Causes of hypopituitarism
• Pituitary/parapituitary tumors
° Pituitary adenoma, craniopharyngioma, meningioma, glioma,
Rathke’s cleft cyst, chordoma, metastasis (e.g., breast, lung)
• Surgery in the area of the pituitary gland
• Radiotherapy (pituitary, cranial, nasopharyngeal)
• Pituitary infarction/hemorrhage (apoplexy)
• Sheehan’s syndrome (postpartum pituitary necrosis)
• Subarachnoid hemorrhage
• Head trauma/traumatic brain injury
• Empty sella syndrome
• Infiltrative lesions
° Sarcoidosis,
histiocytosis
lymphocytic hypophysitis, hemochromatosis,
• Infection
° Tuberculosis (TB), pituitary abscess, meningitis, encephalitis
• Isolated hypothalamic-releasing hormone deficits
° Kallman’s syndrome
• Genetic causes
° Mutations of genes including HESX-1, LHX3, LHX4, PROP-1, POU1F1
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• The clinical manifestations of hypopituitarism depend mainly on the
underlying disease, as well as the type and degree of the hormonal
deficits
• Tumors in the sellar region with suprasellar or lateral extension may be
associated with visual deterioration, headaches, and ophthalmoplegia
due to damage to cranial nerves (III, IV, or VI) within the cavernous
sinus
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
Hormone
Defi ciency Basal Hormone Tests* Dynamic Testing*
ACTH 8 AM serum cortisol and plasma Cosyntropin stimulation test, insulin
ACTH tolerance test, glucagon test, or
metyrapone test
TSH Serum TSH, FT4, FT3
LH/FSH Serum LH and FSH with 8 AM
testosterone in males or
estradiol in females
GH Serum IGF-1 Insulin tolerance test, glucagon
test, or GHRH + Arginine test
ADH Paired urine and plasma Water deprivation test
osmolality, blood urea, and
electrolytes
* Results should be interpreted according to the cutoff values of each laboratory.
• Other investigations
° Hormonal investigations to exclude functioning pituitary adenomas
(e.g., prolactinoma)
° Pituitary MRI or CT to detect anatomical abnormalities
(e.g., tumors)
■ Biopsy of lesion sometimes needed for definitive diagnosis
HORMONE REPLACEMENT
• See also chapters on individual hormone deficiency syndromes
• For ACTH deficiency
° In any acute medical emergency, immediate hydrocortisone
(HC; 100 mg intramuscularly [IM] or intravenously [IV])
° Replacement with HC 20 mg daily in divided doses or prednisone
5 mg daily: recommendation includes replacement with the small-
est possible dose of HC that is acceptable to patient and compat-
ible with normal vitality to avoid overreplacement
° Dose adjustment (two- to threefold) during moderate illness
(e.g., fever >37.5°C)
° Patients shouldsystematically
HC injections if major stress (e.g., major surgery)
° identification cardhave a medical alert bracelet and medical
preparation
■ Main contraindication = prostate cancer
rectal exam
■ Alternatively, gonadotropin therapy is required for fertility
° ■ Multiplehormonal
Females:
options
replacement therapy in premenopausal women
■ Absolute contraindications: vaginal bleeding of unclear etiology,
• For GH deficiency
° Adults: start with low dose of 150−300 mcg/day and titrate according
to clinical response; side effects and IGF-I levels: maximum dose
1 mg daily
° Contraindications: active malignancy, benign intracranial
hypertension, preproliferative/proliferative retinopathy
° Adverse effects: headaches, benign intracranial hypertension,
carpal tunnel syndrome, arthralgia, myalgia, insulin resistance,
hyperglycemia
• For ADH deficiency (diabetes insipidus)
° Desmopressin oral (0.3−1.2 mg/day) or intranasal (10−40 mcg/day)
divided in 1−4 doses
° plasma osmolalities
Monitor for polyuria/polydipsia and serum sodium, urine and
REFERENCES
Bhasin S, Cunningham GR, Hayes FJ, et al. Testosterone therapy in men with
androgen deficiency syndromes: an Endocrine Society clinical practice
guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2010;95(6):2536−59.
Grossman AB. Clinical review: the diagnosis and management of central
hypoadrenalism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2010;95(11):4855−63.
Molitch ME, Clemmons DR, Malozowski S, Merriam GR, Vance ML; Endocrine
Society. Evaluation and treatment of adult growth hormone deficiency:
an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2011;96(6):1587−609.
Schneider HJ, Aimaretti G, Kreitschmann-Andermahr I, Stalla GK, Ghigo E.
Hypopituitarism. Lancet, 2007;369(9571):1461−70.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Pathophysiology: hyperprolactinemia suppresses hypothalamic GnRH
pulsatile secretion, causing hypogonadotropic hypogonadism
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• PRL levels
° If<150
caused by drugs and other nonprolactinoma causes, usually
ng/mL
° Microprolactinomas: levels usually <200 ng/mL
° >20,000 ng/mL
Macroprolactinomas: levels usually >200 ng/mL; can be
■ PRL level generally proportional to tumor size
very large prolactinomas and very high PRL levels may appear to
have PRL levels that are normal or only modestly elevated, thus
mimicking a large, nonfunctioning adenoma due to saturation of
the assay antibodies
• PRL levels should always be remeasured at 1:100 dilution
° high mild
PRL elevations may be due to macroprolactin, which is a
molecular weight PRL aggregate with immunoglobulins with
diminished biologic potency
■ Macroprolactinemia usually found in patients with equivocal
symptoms
■ Detect by precipitating complex with polyethylene glycol
necessary
• Imaging
° contrast
If no obvious cause by history and exam, then image with MRI with
TREATMENT
• Observation
° Ifandpatient has microadenoma or idiopathic hyperprolactinemia
presents with nonbothersome galactorrhea and has normal
estrogen/testosterone levels, he/she can simply be followed with
periodic PRL levels
° Similar patients with amenorrhea but not interested in fertility may
be treated with estrogen replacement
• DA agonists
° DA agonists normalize PRL levels, correct amenorrhea-galactorrhea,
and decrease tumor size by more than 50% in 80−90% of patients
° bromocriptinemore efficacious and better tolerated than
Cabergoline
FOLLOW-UP
• Goals of treatment
° Normalize PRL levels or at least bring them to levels at which
gonadal/reproductive/sexual function is normalized
° Decrease tumor size
• Once PRL levels reach normal or near-normal, levels can be monitored
every 3−6 months for first year and then every 6−12 months thereafter
• Tumor size monitored by MRI
° Macroadenomas: once maximal size reduction documented, further
scans may not be necessary as long as PRL levels are being monitored
° Microadenomas: necessity of second MRI scan is debatable if PRL
levels are monitored
° significant increasea tumor
Extremely rare for to increase in size without there being a
in PRL levels
° Visual field abnormalities should be repeated until normal or stable
and then do not need to be repeated
PREGNANCY
• DA agonists needed for ovulation and stopped once pregnancy is
diagnosed
° With such fetal exposure, there are no risks for fetal malformations
or other adverse pregnancy outcomes
■ Safety database for bromocriptine is eightfold larger than that
for cabergoline
° DA agonists are then reinstituted when breastfeeding is completed
• Symptomatic growth occurs in 23% of macroprolactinomas and 3%
of microprolactinomas in second or third trimester due to stimulatory
effect of high estrogen levels of pregnancy and withdrawal of the DA
agonist
° Visual field testing each trimester with macroadenomas but only if
symptomatic with microadenomas
° Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans (without gadolinium)
if visual field defects or severe headaches when a therapeutic
intervention is contemplated
° When evidence of significant symptoms and tumor growth, patient
should be restarted on a DA agonist
■ Transsphenoidal surgical decompression can be done if there is
advanced
° PRL levels may rise during pregnancy when there is no tumor size
change and some tumors enlarge without an associated rise in
PRL; therefore, measurement of PRL during pregnancy should not
be carried out
REFERENCES
Casanueva FF, Molitch ME, Schlechte JA, et al. Guidelines of the Pituitary
Society for the diagnosis and management of prolactinomas. Clin
Endocrinol (Oxf), 2006;65(2):265−73.
Melmed S, Casanueva FF, Hoffman AR, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of
hyperprolactinemia: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J Clin
Endocrinol Metab, 2011;96(2):273−88.
Storgaard H, Jensen CB, Vaag AA, Vølund A, Madsbad S. Insulin secre-
tion after short- and long-term low-grade free fatty acid infusion in
men with increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Metabolism,
2003;52(7):885−94.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Normal
° GH is secreted in pulses by the pituitary gland, mostly during night
° GHRH stimulates and somatostatin inhibits GH secretion
° GH stimulates hepatic production of IGF-1
° Both GH and IGF-1 have metabolic and growth properties
• In acromegaly
° GH producing somatotroph pituitary tumor is the cause in most cases
° Usually a macroadenoma (greater than 1 cm)
° Rare
tumors
cases of ectopic GHRH or GH production by neuroendocrine
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• History and examination
° Clinical features are due to high serum levels of GH and IGF-1
° Metabolic effects of GH and IGF-1 include insulin antagonism
and lipolysis
° Macroadenomas can cause local mass effects including loss of
peripheral vision through optic chiasmal compression, ophthal-
moplegia through cavernous sinus involvement, and hypopituita-
rism through compression of the normal pituitary gland
° Disease usually present for 6−12 years prior to diagnosis
■ The disease is insidious, and patients rarely present with
for oligo/amenorrhea
■ In men, the disease is often considered during evaluation of
headache
■ Hypertension
■ Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
■ Thickening of skin
heel pad)
■ Head with frontal bossing (protruding frontal bones), coarse
overbite, macroglossia
■ Nodular thyroid goiter
■ Testicular atrophy
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• Laboratory testing performed in a patient with clinical suspicion of
disease
• Biochemical testing to determine GH and IGF-1 hypersecretion
• Specific testing
° IGF-1 levels
■ Random IGF-1 level is single best test: elevated in acromegaly
■ IGF-1 levels do not vary with food intake, time of day, or exercise
° GH levels
■ Measurement of GH useful in situations with equivocal serum
IGF-1 levels
■ GH secretion affected by food, exercise, stress, and sleep, and
adenoma
■ The tumor is a macroadenoma (>1 cm) in at least 75% of cases
MANAGEMENT
• Goals: normalize biochemical GH and IGF-1 levels, improve medical
comorbidities, improve signs and symptoms, reduce tumor burden,
prevent premature mortality
• Surgery is primary mode of therapy and can rapidly normalize GH
levels, reduce tumor bulk, and reverse local mass effects
• Medical and RT used in an adjuvant role for patients with residual
disease following surgery
• Primary medical therapy in lieu of surgery may be used in a patient
with a tumor that may not be cured with surgery (i.e., cavernous sinus
involvement) and without chiasmal effects
• Surgery
° Transsphenoidal approach most common
■ Surgery with endoscopy frequently performed
success
■ Repeat OGTT may be useful at 8−12 weeks if the IGF-1 is
borderline
• Medical therapy
° Three types
Usually used in an adjuvant role following incomplete surgery
° GH receptor ofantagonist
medications: Somatostatin analogues, DA agonists,
■ Somatostatin analogues most commonly used given excellent
° Somatostatin analogues
■ Octreotide LAR (long-acting release) and lanreotide autogel:
increase
■ Administered as daily (10, 15, 20 mg) or weekly SQ injections
° Combination therapy
■ Addition of DA agonist or pegvisomant to somatostatin analogue
REFERENCES
Bevan JS. Clinical review: The antitumoral effects of somatostatin analog
therapy in acromegaly. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2005;90(3):1856–63.
Giustina A, Chanson P, Bronstein MD, et al. A consensus on criteria for cure
of acromegaly. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2010;95(7):3141−8.
Katznelson L, Atkinson JL, Cook DM, et al. American Association of Clinical
Endocrinologists Medical Guidelines for Clinical Practice for the Diagnosis
and Treatment of Acromegaly—2011 update: executive summary. Endocr
Pract, 2011;17(4):636−46.
Melmed S, Colao A, Barkan A, et al. Guidelines for acromegaly management:
an update. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2009;94(5):1509−17.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in adults affects 1−3/10,000 people
annually
• As GH levels decline with aging, important to distinguish between
age-related physiological decline in GH levels and pathological GH
deficiency that usually has an identifiable cause
• Causes of GHD in adults
° Mass lesions in the pituitary and hypothalamus: benign (e.g.,
pituitary adenomas, craniopharyngiomas, cysts) and malignant
(e.g., metastases from breast, lung) tumors
° Treatment of hypothalamic and pituitary lesions (e.g., surgery and/
or irradiation)
° Infi ltrative diseases (e.g., lymphocytic hypophysitis, sarcoidosis,
histiocytosis)
° Sheehan
Head trauma/vascular injury (e.g., subarachnoid hemorrhage,
syndrome)
° Apoplexy (e.g., hemorrhage into the pituitary gland)
° Genetic
mutations)
diseases (e.g., PIT-1, PROP-1, LHX3/4, HESX-1, PITX-2
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• History: inquire about history of hypothalamic-pituitary disease,
cranial irradiation, childhood-onset GHD, head trauma, CNS infections,
underlying autoimmune endocrine disease that may affect the pituitary
gland, and unexplained osteopenia
LABORATORY EVALUATION
• Serum IGF-I levels ≤2 standard deviations (SDS) is suggestive of GHD,
and a provocative test is required to confirm the diagnosis
• The insulin tolerance test (ITT) is the gold standard test but contrain-
dicated in elderly patients and in patients with a history of coronary
artery disease (CAD), cerebrovascular disease, or seizure disorders
• Alternative tests include GHRH and arginine (currently GHRH analogue
is unavailable in the United States), glucagon, or arginine alone
IMAGING
• MRI of the hypothalamic-pituitary area is recommended for all
patients once biochemical evidence of GHD is confirmed
MANAGEMENT
• Goals of GH replacement therapy
° Replace GH to restore serum IGF-I levels in the upper half of the
reference range
° Correct abnormalities associated with GHD
■ Improve body composition (↓ fat mass, ↑ lean body mass)
REFERENCES
Cook DM, Yuen KC, Biller BM, Kemp SF, Vance ML; American Association
of Clinical Endocrinologists. American Association of Clinical
Endocrinologists medical guidelines for clinical practice for growth
hormone use in growth hormone-deficient adults and transition patients–
2009 update. Endocr Pract, 2009;15(Suppl 2):1−29.
Ho KK; 2007 GH Deficiency Consensus Workshop Participants. Consensus
guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of adults with GH deficiency II:
a statement of the GH Research Society in association with the European
Society for Pediatric Endocrinology, Lawson Wilkins Society, European
Society of Endocrinology, Japan Endocrine Society, and Endocrine Society
of Australia. Eur J Endocrinol, 2007;157(6):695−700.
Molitch ME, Clemmons DR, Malozowski S, Merriam GR, Vance ML; Endocrine
Society. Evaluation and treatment of adult growth hormone deficiency:
an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2011;96(6):1587−609.
PITUITARY INCIDENTALOMAS
Background
• Definition
° Athat
pituitary incidentaloma (PI) is a lesion in the pituitary gland
is discovered on an imaging study performed for an unrelated
indication, in a patient without overt signs and symptoms of
pituitary disease
° Microincidentalomas are <1 cm
° Macroincidentalomas are ≥1 cm
• Prevalence
° Prevalence of PI at autopsy is ~10%
° Prevalence of PI on MRI varies but is likely similar to autopsy
° Nearly all PI are <1 cm
■ Lesions ≥1 cm typically present clinically rather than incidentally
• Differential diagnosis
° ~90% are pituitary adenomas
■ Vast majority are nonfunctional
(6−9 mm) microincidentalomas
■ Microincidentalomas ≤5 mm are very unlikely to cause
• Headache
• Visual field deficits from optic chiasm compression
• Ophthalmoplegia from invasion of cavernous sinus causing
compression of cranial nerves
■ Signs or symptoms of hormonal dysfunction
Management
• Nonfunctioning microadenoma
° Usual approach is surveillance without intervention
■ Repeat MRI in one year, then again in 1−2 years, and then at
or optic nerves
■ Patients with tumors causing opthalmoplegia or other neurologic
problems
■ Patients with worsening headache
ing intervals
■ Consider repeat evaluation for hypopituitarism at appropri-
CRANIOPHARYNGIOMAS
Background
• Rare benign epithelial tumors arising along the path of the craniopha-
ryngeal duct from remnants of Rathke’s pouch
• Occurs in a bimodal age distribution: peaks at 5−15 years old in
children and 50−74 years old in adults
• Located mainly in the sellar and parasellar region
° 95% are suprasellar or both suprasellar and intrasellar
° The majority of tumors are cystic or mixed cystic-solid
° Majoritycraniopharyngiomas
Half of contain calcifications
° Can exertarepressure
2−4 cm at diagnosis
° pathways, brain parenchyma,
effects on multiple structures including visual
ventricular system, blood vessels,
and hypothalamus and pituitary
■ Visual problems
■ Hypogonadism in adults
• Radiologic evaluation
° Computed
MRI: best study to define relationship of tumor to other structures
° and cystic tomography
components
(CT): useful for indentifying calcifications
REFERENCES
Colao A, Di Somma C, Pivonello R, Faggiano A, Lombardi G, Savastano S.
Medical therapy for clinically non-functioning pituitary adenomas. Endocr
Relat Cancer, 2008;15(4):905−15.
Fernández-Balsells MM, Murad MH, Barwise A, et al. Natural history of non-
functioning pituitary adenomas and incidentalomas: a systematic review
and metaanalysis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2011;96(4):905−12.
Freda PU, Beckers AM, Katznelson L, et al. Pituitary incidentaloma: an
endocrine society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2011;96(4):894−904.
Jane JA Jr, Laws ER Jr. The management of non-functioning pituitary adeno-
mas. Neurol India, 2003;51(4):461−5.
Karavitaki N, Cudlip S, Adams CB, Wass JA. Craniopharyngiomas. Endocr
Rev, 2006;27(4):371−97.
Karavitaki N, Wass JA. Craniopharyngiomas. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am,
2008;37(1):173−93.
Molitch ME. Nonfunctioning pituitary tumors and pituitary incidentalomas.
Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am, 2008;37(1):151−71.
Orija IB, Weil RJ, Hamrahian AH. Pituitary incidentaloma. Best Pract Res Clin
Endocrinol Metab, 2012;26(1):47−68.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Hypoosmolality indicates an excess of total body water relative to total
body solute
• Imbalances between body water and solute can be generated either by
depletion of body solute more than body water, or by dilution of body
solute from increases in body water more than body solute
• Most hypoosmolar states include components of both solute depletion
and water retention, but this general concept provides a framework for
understanding hypoosmolar disorders
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Clinical manifestations of hyponatremia are largely neurological, and
primarily reflect brain edema resulting from osmotic water shifts into
the brain
• Symptoms range from nonspecific such as headache and confusion,
to more severe manifestations such as decreased sensorium, coma,
seizures, and death
• Significant CNS symptoms generally do not occur until the serum [Na+]
falls below 125 mmol/L, and the severity of symptoms can be roughly
correlated with the degree of hypoosmolality
• Individual variability is marked, and for any patient the level of
serum [Na+] at which symptoms will appear cannot be accurately
predicted
° Factors other than the severity of the hypoosmolality also affect the
degree of neurological dysfunction, the most important is the time
course over which hypoosmolality develops: rapid development of
severe hypoosmolality frequently causes marked neurological symp-
toms, whereas gradual development over several days or weeks
is often associated with relatively mild symptomatology despite
profound degrees of hypoosmolality
• Underlying neurological and metabolic disorders (hypoxia, hypercapnia,
acidosis, hypercalcemia, etc.) also affect the level of hypoosmolality at
which symptoms appear
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• Careful history (especially concerning medications)
• Physical examination with emphasis on clinical assessment of the
extracellular fluid (ECF) volume status and thorough neurologic
evaluation
• Laboratory analysis
° Measurement of serum or plasma electrolytes, glucose, blood urea
nitrogen (BUN), creatinine and uric acid
° Determination of simultaneous
Calculated and/or directly measured plasma osmolality
° urine electrolytes and osmolality
° intravascular volume
Hypoosmolality in these patients suggests a relatively decreased
and/or pressure leading to water retention as
a result of elevated plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) levels and
decreased distal delivery of glomerular filtrate to the kidneys
° Patients usually have a low UNa because of secondary hyperaldoste-
ronism, but under certain conditions the UNa may be elevated (e.g.,
diuretic therapy)
° Heart failure and cirrhosis are the most common causes of hyper-
volemic hypoosmolality
° UNormal
Na+ >30 mEq/L
° renal, adrenal, and thyroid function
• Many different disorders are associated with SIADH, which can be
divided into four major groups: tumors, CNS disorders, drug effects,
and pulmonary diseases
Treatment
• Current therapies for managing SIADH in hospitalized patients
° Isotonic saline
■ Treatment of choice for hypovolemic hyponatremia (patients
hyponatremia
■ Restrict all fluids to 500 ml less than the 24-hour urine output
° Demeclocycline
■ Can be used when patients find fluid restriction unacceptable
1200 mg/day as needed
■ Can cause nephrotoxicity in patients with heart failure or
cirrhosis
° Urea
■ Induces osmotic diuresis and augments free water excretion
in divided doses
■ Use limited because there is no United States Pharmacopeia
cant levels
° Arginine vasopressin receptor (AVPR) antagonists
■ Antagonists of the AVP V2 (antidiuretic) receptor (“vaptans”) are
approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the
treatment of euvolemic and hypervolemic hyponatremia
■ AVPR antagonists produce electrolyte-free water excretion
REFERENCES
Ellison DH, Berl T. Clinical practice. The syndrome of inappropriate antidiure-
sis. N Engl J Med, 2007;356(20):2064−72.
Schrier RW, ed. Diseases of the Kidney and Urinary Tract. 7th ed. Philadelphia,
PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001.
Verbalis JG. Control of brain volume during hypoosmolality and hyperosmo-
lality. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2006;576:113−29.
Verbalis JG, Goldsmith SR, Greenberg A, Schrier RW, Sterns RH. Hyponatremia
treatment guidelines 2007: expert panel recommendations. Am J Med, 2007;
120(11 Suppl 1):S1−21.
DEFINITION
• Characterized by the excretion of large volumes of dilute urine
(>2.5−3.0 mL/kg body weight per hour, specific gravity <1.005, urine
osmolality <200 mOsm/kg H2O)
• Types of DI
° Central diabetes insipidus: inadequate secretion of AVP from the
hypothalamus/posterior pituitary
° to AVP
Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus: impaired response of the kidney
ETIOLOGIES
TABLE 8.1 Etiologies of Diabetes Insipidus
Central DI Nephrogenic DI
• Congenital (congenital malformations; • Congenital (X-linked recessive AVP V2
autosomal dominant AVP-neurophysin receptor gene mutations; autosomal
gene mutation) dominant/recessive aquaporin-2 water
• Autoimmune (lymphocytic hypophysitis) channel gene mutations)
• Drugs (alcohol, diphenylhydantoin) • Drugs (lithium, demeclocyline,
• Granulomatous disease (sarcoidosis, cisplatin, methoxyflurane)
histiocytosis) • Electrolyte disorders (hypercalcemia,
• Infectious (meningitis, encephalitis) hypokalemia)
• Tumors (craniopharyngioma, metastatic • Infiltrative (sarcoidosis, amyloidosis)
pituitary tumors) • Renal disease (chronic renal failure,
• Trauma (neurosurgery, head injury) obstructive uropathy)
• Vascular (cerebral hemorrhage, • Vascular (sickle cell disease or trait)
infarction)
CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS
• Polyuria, polydipsia
• Craving for cold water
• Signs and symptoms of dehydration, depending on whether the patient
has intact thirst mechanism and is able to drink fluids
DIAGNOSIS
• Rule out osmotic diuresis from hyperglycemia or fluid overload
• Polyuria (urine volume >3L in 24 hours)
• Dilute urine (specific gravity <1.005, urine osmolality <200 mOsm/
kg H2O)
• Serum osmolality and sodium
° Most patients with DI present with normal serum sodium and
osmolality if they are able to maintain oral intake of fluids, elevated
serum osmolality and sodium are only noted in patients who are
unable to drink to thirst
° Typically, patients with diabetes insipidus (DI) have high or high-
normal serum sodium and osmolality; in primary polydipsia, serum
sodium and osmolality are typically in the low end of normal range
• Water deprivation test
° Provocative testing to differentiate central DI from nephrogenic DI
in patients with intact thirst mechanism
■ Fluids are withheld to promote dehydration which is a potent
AVP level and the patient is given AVP (5 U) or dDAVP (1 μg) SQ;
measure urine osmolality and urine volume every 30 minutes for
the next 2 hours
° ■ Patients withof central
Interpretation test results
DI will have low or “inappropriately normal”
AVP levels whereas those with nephrogenic DI will have elevated
levels
■ Patients with central DI will have a ≥50% increase in urine
Treatment
• Central DI
° Correction of any preexisting water deficits
° Accurate recording of fluid intake and output
° the drug of choice;
Desmospressin acetate (dDAVP): synthetic analogue of AVP, it is
available in parenteral (1−2 μg), oral (0.1 or
0.2 mg), and nasal (10 μg) formulations
° deficit (i.e., some circulating
Other agents that can be considered in DI especially if partial
AVP present)
■ Thiazide diuretics: by causing modest hypovolemia, thiazide
REFERENCES
Loh JA, Verbalis JG. Disorders of water and salt metabolism associated with
pituitary disease. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am, 2008;37(1):213−34.
Makaryus AN, McFarlane SI. Diabetes insipidus: diagnosis and treatment of a
complex disease. Cleve Clin J Med, 2006;73(1):65−71.
Verbalis JG. Diabetes insipidus. Rev Endocr Metab Disord, 2003;4(2):177–85.
ANATOMY
• Butterfly-shaped organ that lies under the sternothyroid and sterno-
hyoid muscles
• Composed of left and right lobes joined by an isthmus; occasionally
a pyramidal lobe sits on top of the isthmus, can be palpable in Graves’
disease
• Surrounded by a thin, fibrous capsule attached to the cricoid cartilage
and superior tracheal rings
• The recurrent laryngeal nerves run posteriorly to the gland and the
parathyroid glands sit behind the superior and middle portions of
each lobe
• Highly vascular, supplied by the superior and inferior thyroid arteries
HISTOLOGY
• The thyroid gland is made up of individually functioning units called
follicles
° Lined by simple cuboidal epithelium
° Filled
colloid
with a glycoprotein complex called thyroglobulin (Tg), or
• Epithelium produces thyroid hormone (T4 and T3) within the colloid,
where it is also stored
• The basement membrane of the follicles contain neuroendocrine
secretory cells called C cells, which have a pale granular cytoplasm
and secrete calcitonin
PHYSIOLOGY
• Thyroid hormone is comprised of two iodinated thyronine residues
bonded by an ether linkage
• Thyroid hormone synthesis requires several steps that are dependent
upon iodine (a key structural component of thyroid hormone), the
sodium/iodide symporter (NIS), thyroid peroxidase (TPO), pendrin,
and Tg
antibodies
° Pendrin is an iodide/chloride transporter at the apical membrane
and positions iodide to act as a substrate for hormonogenesis
■ Patients with mutations in the pendrin gene develop Pendred’s
REFERENCES
Bizhanova A, Kopp P. Minireview: The sodium-iodide symporter NIS
and pendrin in iodide homeostasis of the thyroid. Endocrinology,
2009;150(3):1084−90.
Gardner DG, Shoback D. Greenspan’s Basic & Clinical Endocrinology. 8th ed.
New York, NY: McGraw Hill; 2007.
Hall JE, Nieman LK, eds. Handbook of Diagnostic Endocrinology. Totowa, NJ:
Humana Press; 2003.
Moore KL, Dalley AF. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA:
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1999.
Pesce L, Bizhanova A, Caraballo JC, et al. TSH regulates pendrin membrane
abundance and enhances iodide efflux in thyroid cells. Endocrinology,
2012;153(1):512−21.
Young B, Heath JW. Wheater’s Functional Histology: A Text and Colour Atlas.
4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone; 2000.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• The clinical features of hyperthyroidism can be dramatic with manifes-
tations across many organ systems; however, a proportion of patients,
especially the elderly or those with more mild disease, may present
with few symptoms
° Cardiovascular: palpitations, increased heart rate, increased
cardiac output, increased contractility, atrial fibrillation, congestive
heart failure (CHF), cardiovascular collapse and death
° Skeletal muscle: proximal muscle weakness, generalized fatigue,
muscular atrophy
° Neurological: tremor, irritability, nervousness, insomnia, psychosis,
altered mental status, lethargy, and coma
° circulating sex hormone-binding
Gonadal: irregular menstrual cycles, reduced libido, increased
globulin and reduced levels of
free sex hormones
° fracture
Bone: increased bone turnover, ostopenia/osteoporosis, and
MANAGEMENT OPTIONS
• Pharmacological therapy
° β-adrenergic
symptom control)
receptor blocker (short-term adjunctive therapy for
■ Should be given to patients with signs of adrenergic activation
levels
■ Can be used as initial treatment of Graves’ disease,
■ PTU (50−100 mg TID) has a “black box” warning from the FDA
for liver toxicity and should only be considered for use in two
situations, pregnant women who are in the first trimester
(due to the embryopathy associated with MMI use) and in
those with thyroid storm (because PTU also blocks peripheral
T4 to T3 conversion)
■ A complete blood cell count (CBC) and liver profile are recom-
SUBCLINICAL HYPERTHYROIDISM
• Pattern of suppressed serum TSH and normal range T4 and T3 levels
• Despite the term “subclinical,” it can be associated with symptoms,
bone loss, and cardiac manifestations, such as atrial arrhythmias
• Younger patients with mild TSH suppression (0.1−0.4 mU/L) and
no clinical manifestations can usually be observed with serum TSH
measured at intervals of 6−12 months
• In contrast, older patients and all patients with TSH <0.1 mU/L should
be evaluated with measurement of T4 and T3 and etiology of sup-
pressed TSH (e.g., RAIU, TRBII, TSI), as well as assessments of cardiac
status and bone density
■ Osteoporosis
REFERENCES
Akamizu T, Satoh T, Isozaki O, et al. Diagnostic criteria, clinical features,
and incidence of thyroid storm based on nationwide surveys. Thyroid,
2012;22(7):661−79.
Bahn RS, Burch HB, Cooper DS, et al. Hyperthyroidism and other causes
of thyrotoxicosis: management guidelines of the American Thyroid
Association and American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
Thyroid, 2011;21(6):593−646.
Brent GA. Clinical practice. Graves’ disease. N Engl J Med,
2008;358(24):2594−605.
Cooper DS, Biondi B. Subclinical thyroid disease. Lancet,
2012;379(9821):1142−54.
Ross DS. Radioiodine therapy for hyperthyroidism. N Engl J Med,
2011;364(6):542−50.
BACKGROUND
• Hypothyroidism: insufficient thyroid hormone levels
° Primary hypothyroidism
■ Usually due to disorders affecting the thyroid gland itself
° Central hypothyroidism
■ Due to disorders causing insuffi cient TSH
DIAGNOSIS
• Testing should be entertained based on the presence of symptoms of
hypothyroidism
° Screening of general population is controversial
° Screening of women who are pregnant or planning pregnancy is
controversial
• TSH is best initial screening test (unless there is a suspicion for
central hypothyroidism)
° Normal TSH will exclude primary hypothyroidism
° Check FT4 in patients with elevated TSH
■ Low FT4 and elevated TSH is overt hypothyroidism
■ Normal FT4 and elevated TSH is subclinical hypothyroidism
subclinical hypothyroidism
• If central hypothyroidism is suspected, check TSH and FT4
° Check
FT4 will be low and TSH will be low or “inappropriately normal”
° with confi pituitary MRI and other tests of pituitary function in patients
rmed central hypothyroidism
TREATMENT
• Synthetic LT4 is treatment of choice
° Combination therapy with LT4 and T3 not demonstrated to be
advantageous in most studies
° ized and contains excess
Dessicated porcine thyroid should be avoided as it is not standard-
T3
° Both generic and branded LT4 formulations are available
■ Formulations differ in composition and absorption
SUBCLINICAL HYPOTHYROIDISM
• Elevated (usually mildly) TSH with normal FT4 in a patient who is typi-
cally asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic
° Testing including TPO antibody should be repeated in 3 months to
confirm the diagnosis
• Increased risk of progression to overt hypothyroidism in patients with
positive TPO antibodies and/or TSH >10
• Associated with dyslipidemia and other markers of enhanced cardio-
vascular risk
° Treatment with LT4 to normalize thyroid parameters improves these
markers, but no evidence for improved patient outcomes
• Consider LT4 treatment in
° Patients with positive TPO antibodies
° Patients with TSH >10
° Patients witharesevere
Women who pregnant or planning a pregnancy
° Patients who are symptomatic
dyslipidemia
° continue if patient reports improvement)
(3−6 month treatment trial; only
MYXEDEMA COMA
• A state of severe decompensated hypothyroidism
° Typically seen in elderly women with longstanding hypothyroidism
° May be initiated by illness or exposure to cold
° Presentation often includes change in mental status (ranging from
confusion to coma), hypothermia, bradycardia, and hypoventilation
which can progress to hypercarbic respiratory failure
° Patients may have features of severe hypothyroidism: very dry skin,
nonpitting edema, macroglossia, hoarse voice, delayed reflexes,
pericardial effusion, ileus
° In addition to TFTs consistent with hypothyroidism, labwork may
also show hyponatremia, hypoglycemia, hypercalcemia, macrocytic
anemia, elevated creatinine kinase; arterial blood gas (ABG) may
show hypoxia, hypercarbia, and acidosis
tapered
° Thyroid hormone therapy
■ If clinical suspicion of myxedema coma is high, treatment should
REFERENCES
Almandoz JP, Gharib H. Hypothyroidism: etiology, diagnosis, and manage-
ment. Med Clin North Am, 2012;96(2):203−21.
Devdhar M, Ousman YH, Burman KD. Hypothyroidism. Endocrinol Metab Clin
North Am, 2007;36(3):595−615.
Jones DD, May KE, Geraci SA. Subclinical thyroid disease. Am J Med,
2010;123(6):502−4.
BACKGROUND
• Nonthyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS) refers to the complex
alterations in thyroid hormone metabolism occurring in acute and
chronic illness that affect the entire hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid
(HPT) axis
° Leads to considerable difficulty in recognizing preexisting thyroid
dysfunction in hospitalized patients
• NTIS is associated with increased mortality
° Low triiodothyronine (T3) is an independent predictor of
survival
° Low T3/rT3<3ratio
FT4 index is associated with increased mortality
° ICU are also associated
and high reverse T3 (rT3) on the first day in the
with increased mortality
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Endocrine systems including the HPT axis are affected by inflamma-
tion, altered tissue perfusion, and other changes seen in systemic
illness
• Changes at all the levels of the HPT axis including neuroendocrine
regulation, peripheral transport, thyroid hormone metabolism and
receptor binding have been proposed to contribute to altered thyroid
hormone economy in NTIS
° Cytokines such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, Interferon-alpha and
TNF-α are hypothesized as mediators of NTIS
° ■ Type 1 deiodinase
Changes in deiodinase activity are felt to be a major component
(D1) catalyses the conversion of T4 to T3
and rT3 to T2; activity of D1 is decreased in patients with NTIS
resulting in reduced T3 levels
■ Type 2 deiodinase (D2) catalyses the conversion of T4 to T3 and
° Other alterations
■ Reduced TRH gene expression due to elevated rT3 levels in
hypothalamus
■ Reduced levels of binding proteins leading to low total T4 levels
illness
■ Increased expression of active form of thyroid hormone receptor
to increase sensitivity to T3
• The changes in the HPT axis vary over the time course of the illness
° normalillness:
Acute changes similar to those seen in starvation (low T3,
to low T4, and low FT3) are felt to represent an adaptive
response to illness with “conservation of resources”
° Chronic illness: continued reduced activity of HPT axis;
debated as to whether this is adaptive or a form of central
hypothyroidism
° Recovery: improvement in thyroid hormone parameters seen during
recovery phase of illness are marked by normal T4 and T3 and
slightly increased TSH levels
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• Measurement of thyroid hormone levels during systemic illness is
confounded by multiple factors: altered binding proteins, presence
of fatty acids that inhibit binding of thyroid hormones to proteins,
effects of concurrent medications (see Table 12.1), altered tissue
perfusion, etc.
• Most hospitalized patients with abnormal TFTs will have normal TFTs
on outpatient follow-up
° TFTs in hospitalized patients should only be checked if there is a
strong clinical suspicion of underlying thyroid dysfunction
• Evaluation of thyroid status in hospitalized patients should include
measurement of both serum TSH and FT4; if either is abnormal, T3
should be also measured
• T3: low T3 is the most common alteration identified in NTIS
• TSH: TSH levels are highly variable in hospitalized patients
° TSH
NTIS
levels of 0.05−20 mIU/L are commonly seen in patients with
• FT4: FT4 levels are generally in the normal range during NTIS but may
be low in prolonged severe illness
° Note: FT4 generally is measured by analogue methods, which may
be affected by binding protein abnormalities
• TT4: low TT4 is also a common finding in ICU patients due to reduced
levels of thyroid hormone binding proteins
• rT3: levels are commonly elevated in NTIS, but measurements of rT3
are not clinically useful as the results are not readily available
MANAGEMENT
• Treatment of NTIS with thyroid hormone replacement has not been
shown to improve outcome and may potentially be harmful
° beReduced thyroid hormone economy in critical illness might
an adaptive mechanism to conserve energy and reduce
catabolism
• Thyroid hormone replacement should only be considered in situations
in which there is strong clinical suspicion and evidence of preexisting
thyroid dysfunction.
• TRH infusions are currently being investigated as an intervention in
patients with NTIS
REFERENCES
Adler SM, Wartofsky L. The nonthyroidal illness syndrome. Endocrinol Metab
Clin North Am, 2007;36(3):657−72.
Boelen A, Kwakkel J, Fliers E. Beyond low plasma T3: local thyroid
hormone metabolism during inflammation and infection. Endocr Rev,
2011;32(5):670−93.
GENERAL COMMENTS
• Drugs that affect TH absorption will affect patients relying on a fixed
amount of TH provided by thyroid hormone replacement therapy (THRT)
• Drugs that affect TH metabolism will generally only affect patients
relying on THRT, since most patients with a normally functioning
thyroid axis will be able to increase TH production to compensate for
increased TH metabolism
• Drugs that affect TH production by the thyroid will mostly affect
“normal” patients who rely on typical endogenous production of TH
• Imatinib
° Mechanism: unknown, likely increased liver metabolism of TH
° Effect:
on THRT
increased T4 requirement to meet TSH target in patients
■ The rate of iodine release from amiodarone is estimated at 10% per day
40−60 days
° ■ Early, transient variant
Hypothyroidism
• Type I AIT
– Unremitting, severe, resistant hyperthyroidism; uncommon
– Mechanism: effect of large iodine load in patient with preexist-
ing thyroid autonomy (mild Graves’ disease or nodular goiter)
• Type II AIT
– Moderate, self-limited thyrotoxicosis; more common than
type I AIT, especially in iodine-replete areas
– Mechanism: cytotoxic effect of drug resulting in destructive
thyroiditis
■ Differential diagnosis
• Type I AIT
– Suggestive: thyroid nodules on ultrasound, increased
thyroidal color flow-doppler
– Definitive: RAIU >3%, positive thyroid-receptor antibody
(TRAb)
• Type II AIT
– Suggestive: normal thyroid appearance on ultrasound, RAIU
<3%, increased serum IL-6 levels
■ Management
• Type I AIT
– MMI 40 to 60 mg daily
– Sodium perchlorate up to 500 mg BID (not available in
the US)
– Thyroidectomy in extreme situations
– Discontinuation of amiodarone should be considered
• Type II AIT
– Prednisone 40 mg daily, tapered by 10 mg q 2 weeks, upon
favorable response
– Discontinuation of amiodarone may decrease risk of
relapses and speed response, but must be weighed against
benefits of amiodarone
• Note: when the distinction between types I and II cannot be
made with confidence (a frequent scenario), both MMI and
prednisone should be administered
• Lithium
° Mechanisms: increased intrathyroidal half-life of iodine, leading to
decreased release of thyroid hormone; direct toxic effect on thyroid
follicular cells (both hypothetical)
° Effects
■ Goiter
• Incidence: 10−40%
• Management: monitor TFTs
REFERENCES
Barbesino G. Drugs affecting thyroid function. Thyroid, 2010;20(7):763−70.
Campbell NR, Hasinoff BB, Stalts H, Rao B, Wong NC. Ferrous sulfate
reduces thyroxine efficacy in patients with hypothyroidism. Ann Intern
Med, 1992;117(12):1010−3.
Eskes SA, Wiersinga WM. Amiodarone and thyroid. Best Pract Res Clin
Endocrinol Metab, 2009;23(6):735−51.
Lazarus JH. Lithium and thyroid. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2009;23(6):723−33.
Liwanpo L, Hershman JM. Conditions and drugs interfering with thyroxine
absorption. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2009;23(6):781−92.
Roti E, Minelli R, Giuberti T, et al. Multiple changes in thyroid function in
patients with chronic active HCV hepatitis treated with recombinant
interferon-alpha. Am J Med, 1996;101(5):482−7.
Wong E, Rosen LS, Mulay M, et al. Sunitinib induces hypothyroidism in
advanced cancer patients and may inhibit thyroid peroxidase activity.
Thyroid, 2007;17(4):351−5.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• History
° Most thyroid nodules (90%) are incidental and asymptomatic, often
detected upon separate imaging (such as CT or MRI) or on physical
examination
° 10% present with symptoms, most commonly a sensation of a
throat mass; other rare symptoms include voice change (hoarse-
ness), neck pain, or difficulty swallowing
° Initial evaluation should focus on identifying factors that impart a
higher risk of thyroid cancer. These include a history of childhood
head or neck radiation (before age 16), a family history of thyroid
cancer (or familial syndromes associated with thyroid cancer such
as MEN2, familial adenomatous polyposis, or Cowden’s syndrome),
and high-risk signs or symptoms including hoarseness, dysphagia,
dysphonia, cough, enlarged cervical lymph nodes, large nodules
>4 cm, and rapidly growing nodules
° The patient should be asked about symptoms of thyrotoxicosis such
as sweating, tremors, heat intolerance, or weight loss, as these may
signal a functional (or “hot”) nodule
• Physical examination
° The thyroid isthmus is palpable just below the thyroid and cricoid
cartilage, with a right and left lobe extending laterally and posteri-
orly along the trachea
° The examination should always be performed with a glass of water,
with instructions to swallow at the time of examination; observation
and palpation may detect asymmetry, nodules, or tenderness
° The thyroid gland is best palpated with the patient sitting upright,
head facing straight forward or slightly downward (to relax the
strap muscles)
° Examination of the thyroid should assess the size and location of
the gland, as well as any nodules
■ Nodules should be assessed for size, texture, tenderness, and
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• Laboratory testing
° Ifconcentration
a nodule is suspected or detected upon examination, a serum TSH
should be measured
• Imaging
° Ifruled
the TSH is suppressed, a functional (or “hot” nodule) should be
out via a thyroid scan
■ If a hot nodule is identifi ed, the risk of malignancy is nearly
MANAGEMENT
• In most circumstances, FNA should be performed on nodules larger
than 1.0−1.5 cm; however, the decision to perform FNA should be
guided by the nodule size as well as other clinical factors (Table 14-1)
° The goal of FNA is to obtain a sample of cells for cytologic examination
• Whenever possible, ultrasound guidance should be used to guide all
FNAs. Under direct visualization, a 24−27 gauge needle is inserted
into the solid component of the nodule. Ultrasound guidance minimizes
nondiagnostic samples and improves sampling accuracy
• Following insertion, the needle is rapidly moved back and forth within
the nodule for about 5 seconds. Cellular material enters the needle tip by
capillary action whether suction is applied or not. Most often 3−4 sepa-
rate needle samples constitute a complete FNA from a thyroid nodule
• There are few absolute contraindications to thyroid nodule FNA, though
anticoagulation is a relative contraindication because of increased
risk for bleeding
• FNA can also be used to drain >75% cystic nodules, providing symp-
tom relief and decompression
• FNA cytology should be read by an experienced cytopathologist, and
classified using the Bethesda classification system (Table 14-2)
TABLE 14.1 Decision-Making for Thyroid FNA
Clinical/Imaging Features Size Threshold to Consider FNA
If high-risk clinical history* >0.5 cm
If high-risk features on imaging† >0.5–1.0 cm
If a solid nodule >1.0 cm
If >75% cystic or spongiform nodule >1.5–2.0 cm
If 100% cystic No FNA (unless for symptom relief)
If abnormal lymph nodes are detected >0.5–1.0cm
* High-risk history includes childhood radiation exposure, a family history of thyroid cancer, and known
RET protooncogene mutations.
† High-risk features on imaging include ultrasound findings of microcalcifications, hypoechogenicity,
irregular borders, the presence of lymphadenopathy, or 18FDG avidity on positron emission tomography
(PET) scanning.
REFERENCES
American Thyroid Association Guidelines Taskforce on Thyroid Nodules
and Differentiated Thyroid Cancer, Cooper DS, Doherty GM, et al.
Revised American Thyroid Association management guidelines for
patients with thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer. Thyroid,
2009;19(11):1167−214.
Cibas ES, Ali SZ. The Bethesda System for reporting thyroid cytopathology.
Am J Clin Pathol, 2009;132(5):658−65.
Hegedüs L. Clinical practice. The thyroid nodule. N Engl J Med,
2004;351(17):1764−71.
Moon WJ, Jung SL, Lee JH, et al. Benign and malignant thyroid nodules:
US differentiation—multicenter retrospective study. Radiology,
2008;247(3):762−70.
Sherman SI. Thyroid carcinoma. Lancet, 2003;361(9356):501−11.
DEFINITION
• Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) includes papillary thyroid carci-
noma (PTC) and follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) and accounts for
>90% of all thyroid cancer
EPIDEMIOLOGY
• DTC is the most common endocrine malignancy, although it represents
<1% of all human tumors
° 85% PTC, 10% FTC, 3% Hurthle cell (aggressive FTC subtype)
• PTC affects women more often than men (2.5:1), has a higher
incidence among Caucasians than African Americans, and is typically
diagnosed at age 30−50 years
• FTC affects older patients (>40 years of age) and incidence does not
vary substantially by race
• Yearly incidence of DTC has increased from 3.6 per 100,000 in 1973 to
8.7 per 100,000 in 2002 (2.4-fold increase)
° Almost the entire change is attributable to an increase in the
incidence of PTC
° 89% of the rise is attributable to cancers measuring ≤2 cm
■ Suggests that earlier diagnosis of small DTC is occurring through
RISK FACTORS
• Head and neck external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), particularly
during childhood
° Previously
lesions)
used to treat benign childhood conditions (acne, skin
° Treatment of malignancies
• Exposure to a nuclear explosion or fallout
• History of thyroid cancer in a first-degree relative
PATHOGENESIS
• Mutations in the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway (MAPK)
are often responsible for malignant transformation of thyroid follicular
cells
° This is a complex sequential phosphorylation cascade pathway
involving serine/thyronine kinases that ultimately acts in the cell
nucleus to promote cell division
° Tumorigenesis occurs when this pathway is constitutively activated
by mutations in associated genes (RET, TRK, RAS, or BRAF)
■ Activating mutations have been found in up to 70% of DTC
PATHOLOGICAL FEATURES
• PTC is characterized by layers of tumor cells surrounding a fibrovascu-
lar core to form papillae
° The nuclei are oval, large, and overlapping, and may contain
hypodense chromatin, pseudoinclusions, and nuclear grooves
° tions of calcium
Psamomma bodies are seen in 50% of PTC; these are round collec-
that form when papillae infarct
° Often, PTC is multifocal, either due to intrathyroidal metastasis or
due to multiple cancerous clones
PROGNOSIS
• Both PTC and FTC have a generally good prognosis with overall
mortality <10%
• Certain clinical/pathologic features are associated with worse
prognosis
° Older age at diagnosis: involvement of lymph nodes does not affect
survival of patients <45 years old, but increases risk of death by
46% in those ≥45 years old
° Larger tumors
° Soft tissue invasions increases the risk of death fivefold
° Distant metastases
° Certain histologic subtypes
■ PTC: tall cell variant, columnar cell variant, diffuse sclerosing
variant
■ FTC: Hurthle cell, insular thyroid cancer
≥45 years of age with tumors >4 cm and in those patients with
gross extrathyroidal extension and distant metastases
° Recommended for those with known distant metastases, gross
extrathyroidal extension, or primary tumor >4 cm
° thyroid who havein documented
Recommended select patients with tumor 1−4 cm confined to
lymph node metastases or other
high-risk features (vascular invasion, aggressive histologic
subtypes)
° drawal
RAI ablation (30−100 mCi131I) is performed following LT4 with-
(to achieve a TSH >30) or recombinant-human TSH (rhTSH)
stimulation after 2 weeks of a low-iodine diet to maximize 131I
uptake by remnant thyroid tissue
• LT4 therapy minimizes potential TSH stimulation of tumor growth
° Initial TSH suppression <0.1 mU/L is recommended for high-risk
and intermediate risk DTC patients
° patients suppression 0.1−0.5 mU/L is appropriate for low-risk
Initial TSH
LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT
• Changes in serum Tg over time are useful in monitoring patients for
recurrence, provided thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb), which interfere
with Tg assays, are not present
° Ashould
rise in Tg or conversion from negative to positive TgAb status
prompt imaging studies to evaluate for recurrence
• Patients who have undergone total thyroidectomy and RAI remnant
ablation should be assessed for remission 6−12 months after initial
treatment
° Tg on thyroid hormone suppression should be undetectable in the
absence of TgAb
° Thyroid bed and neck ultrasound to evaluate for abnormal lymph-
adenopathy or new/persistent tissue in thyroid bed, which would
warrant biopsy
° IfrhTSH
TgAb negative, measurement of serum Tg after T4 withdrawal or
stimulation
■ A stimulated Tg <1 ng/ml with negative antibodies suggests
disease remission
° withdrawal
If TgAb positive, whole-body 123I uptake scans after thyroid hormone
or rhTSH stimulation
■ Uptake would suggest persistent/recurrent disease
• Novel therapies that target the distal steps in the MAPK pathway and
inhibit the action of VEGF are currently under investigation for the
treatment of advanced/resistant DTC
° TKIs include axitinib, lenvatinib, motesanib, pazopanib, sorafenib,
sunitinib, and vandetanib
REFERENCES
American Thyroid Association (ATA) Guidelines Taskforce on Thyroid
Nodules and Differentiated Thyroid Cancer, Cooper DS, Doherty GM,
et al. Revised American Thyroid Association management guidelines for
patients with thyroid nodules and differentiated thyroid cancer. Thyroid,
2009;19(11):1167−214.
Aschebrook-Kilfoy B, Ward MH, Sabra MM, Devesa SS. Thyroid cancer
incidence patterns in the United States by histologic type, 1992–2006.
Thyroid, 2011;21(2):125−34.
Fagin JA, Mitsiades N. Molecular pathology of thyroid cancer: diagnos-
tic and clinical implications. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2008;22(6):955−69.
Jonklaas J, Sarlis NJ, Litofsky D, et al. Outcomes of patients with
differentiated thyroid carcinoma following initial therapy. Thyroid,
2006;16(12):1229−42.
Kojic KL, Kojic SL, Wiseman SM. Differentiated thyroid cancers: a compre-
hensive review of novel targeted therapies. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther,
2012;12(3):345−57.
Pacini F, Castagna MG. Approach to and treatment of differentiated thyroid
carcinoma. Med Clin North Am, 2012;96(2):369−83.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Malignancy of calcitonin-secreting parafollicular C cells of the thyroid
gland, derived from the neural crest
° May start as C-cell hyperplasia (CCH), which progresses to
invasive MTC
° CCH may be seen as a secondary condition not associated with MTC
° Autosomal-dominant inherited disease in ~25%; caused by a
germline mutation in the rearranged during transfection (RET )
proto-oncogene; typically multifocal or bilateral
° Sporadic in ~75%, typically unifocal
• The inherited form of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) may be associ-
ated with other endocrine tumors, termed MEN
° MEN2A-hyperparathyroidism, pheochromocytoma, MTC
° MEN2B-pheochromocytoma, mucosal neuromas of the lips and
tongue, ganglioneuromatosis of the GI tract, Marfanoid body
habitus, MTC
° Familial medullary thyroid cancer (FMTC)-inherited MTC is the only
manifestation; at least four family members with no other signs or
symptoms of pheochromocytoma or hyperparathyroidism
Epidemiology
• 3% of all thyroid cancers are MTC
° Affects 1 in 30,000 people.
° 1000 to 2000 new cases of MTC in US annually
° (21 years)
Age at diagnosis is older for sporadic cases (51 years) than genetic
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Nodule/mass: mass effect from local tumor compression; hoarseness,
dysphagia, lymphadenopathy
• Flushing, diarrhea: unclear etiology, possibly from humoral secretions
by the tumor
• Pheochromocytoma: tumor of the catecholamine-producing chromaffin
cells of the adrenal medulla; presents with refractory hypertension;
may also present with abdominal pain, flushing, and headaches;
poses a risk to health and life if left untreated
• Hyperparathyroidism: may present with kidney stones or fractures
DIAGNOSIS
• Imaging is typical method of initial detection
° Ultrasound of the neck reveals thyroid nodule and possibly meta-
static lymph nodes
° CT of the chest may reveal lymph node involvement in mediastinum
or pulmonary nodules
° CT of the abdomen may reveal hepatic metastases
• FNA under ultrasound guidance into thyroid nodule or suspicious lymph
node
° Immunohistochemical staining for calcitonin
° Amyloid deposits seen on pathology
• Genetic testing: RET gene testing should be performed in all patients
with MTC; if positive, all first-degree family members should also be
tested
° Those family members who have a RET mutation should have
a prophylactic thyroidectomy; penetrance of disease in carriers
is very high
• Elevated serum calcitonin
° Basal calcitonin >10 pg/ml is elevated
■ May be elevated in males and smokers and those with renal
CLINICAL FEATURES
• Locoregional metastases: cervical lymph node metastases occur early
in the disease course and can be seen even with tumors measuring
several millimeters
• Distant metastases: tumors over 1.5 cm are more likely to metastasize
to distant sites (i.e., lung, liver, and bone)
• Cushing’s syndrome: tumor may secrete ACTH
STAGING
• When lymph node metastases are identified or when preoperative cal-
citonin is >400 pg/mL, CT scanning for distant metastases is advised
with focus on the neck, chest, and liver
• PET scanning is not advised in MTC for initial screening for
metastases
• Testing for parathyroid tumors and pheochromocytoma is advised prior
to thyroidectomy
• Staging is based on the American Joint Committee on Cancer pTNM
staging
° Stage I: <2 cm with no evidence of disease outside of the thyroid
° Stage II: any tumor 2−4 cm with no evidence of extrathyroidal
disease
° microscopic
Stage III: any tumor >4 cm, central neck nodal metastases, or
extrathyroidal invasion regardless of tumor size
° Stage IV: any distant metastases or lymph node involvement
outside of the central neck, or gross soft tissue extension
THERAPY
• Surgery: this is the only possible method for curing patients with MTC
° Total thyroidectomy: removal of all thyroid tissue is the preferred
initial treatment for MTC as many patients with sporadic disease
and nearly all with inherited disease will have bilateral tumors
° Lymph node dissection: lymph nodes may be present in up to 50%
of patients at initial presentation. Central neck dissection is recom-
mended for most patients with a preoperative diagnosis of MTC
to remove involved nodes. Identification of abnormal nodes in the
lateral neck or mediastinum by ultrasound or CT should prompt a
more extensive neck dissection to remove the disease
° Distant disease: removal of all involved nodes or radical neck
dissection is not indicated in patients with distant disease as it
does not improve survival; instead, debulking of the tumor and
removing nodes that threaten to extend into vital structures may
be performed
FOLLOW-UP
• Calcitonin: should be measured at the same lab each time; the amount
of time it takes for the calcitonin to double (doubling time) is used to
determine the interval between follow-up visits
• Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA): a small minority of tumors preferen-
tially secrete this marker rather than calcitonin
• Imaging: CT or ultrasound may be used to follow for progression of
known metastases or for development of new lesions
• Freedom from disease: undetectable basal and stimulated calcitonin
with no evidence of tumor by imaging
° Recurrence rates ~3% if patients are rendered free of disease
based on above criteria; lifelong follow up is recommended
REFERENCES
American Thyroid Association Guidelines Task Force, Kloos RT, Eng C, et al.
Medullary thyroid cancer: management guidelines of the American Thyroid
Association. Thyroid, 2009;19(6):565−612.
Moline J, Eng C. Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2: an overview. Genet
Med, 2011;13(9):755−64.
Tuttle RM, Ball DW, Byrd D, et al. Medullary carcinoma. J Natl Compr Canc
Netw, 2010;8(5):512−30.
Wu LS, Roman SA, Sosa JA. Medullary thyroid cancer: an update of new
guidelines and recent developments. Curr Opin Oncol, 2011;23(1):22−7.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Anaplastic thyroid cancers (ATCs) are highly aggressive undifferenti-
ated tumors originating from thyroid follicular epithelium
• Accounts for about 1.7% of all thyroid cancers
• There is good evidence suggesting that ATC develops from more
differentiated tumors as a result of dedifferentiation events
° ~20% of patients with ATC have a history of DTC and ~20−30%
have coexisting DTC
• ATCs have complete loss of expression of thyroid specific proteins
such as Tg, NIS, TSH receptor, and thyroid transcription factor-1
(TTF1)
• Poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC), an intermediate
between DTC and ATC, can sometime mimic ATC but is usually less
aggressive
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• A rapidly enlarging neck mass is the most common symptom, occurring
in about 85% of patients
• The vast majority of patients have regional (≥90%) or distant
metastases (up to 50%) at the time of presentation
° Regional involvement includes perithyroidal fat and muscle, lymph
nodes, tonsils, larynx, trachea, esophagus, and the great vessels of
the neck and mediastinum
° Distant metastases often involve the lung, bones and brain, and
less frequently, the skin, liver, kidneys, and adrenal glands
• The most frequent symptoms and signs are listed in the following
table
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• The diagnosis of ATC is usually established by core biopsy or open
surgical biopsy. In some case, a diagnosis can be made by FNA, though
caution is required with FNA because other disorders may resemble
ATC cytologically (see Table 17.2).
• Cytological or histological examination of ATC tumor will reveal
° Spindle cells pattern
° Pleomorphic giant cells pattern
° Squamoid cells pattern
• Most patients have normal serum TSH, except for those with tumor-
induced thyroiditis
• Imaging studies are useful to define the extent of disease and
plan therapy, but should be scheduled urgently so as not to delay
management
° CT of the neck and mediastinum can accurately identify the extent
of the tumor and its invasion to local structures
° extension and nodal
Ultrasonography can be informative to the extent of extrathyroidal
involvement
° PET/CT will demonstrate hypermetabolic lesions where present
° Chest X-ray will often detect pulmonary metastases
• TNM staging definition: all ATC are Stage IV disease
° T4a: intrathyroidal ATC
° T4b: ATC with gross extrathyroidal extension
MANAGEMENT
• ATC does not respond to RAI and treatment or scan with RAI should not
be part of management
• Prognostic factors
° ATC is almost universally fatal, with median survival ranging from
3−7 months and 20% one-year survival
° Patients with disease either confined to the thyroid (Stage IVA)
or with local and regional metastases (Stage IVB) have a longer
survival than those with distant metastases (Stage IVC)
° Patients with tumor <6 cm have a better 2-year survival than those
with larger tumors (25% versus 3−15%)
° worse prognosis
Older age, male sex or dyspnea as presenting symptom confers
SURGERY
• If the tumor appears to be localized to the thyroid, complete resection
should be attempted with total thyroidectomy and therapeutic lymph
node dissection
• En bloc resection should be considered for patient with extrathyroidal
extension if gross negative margin can be achieved
• Surgery is not indicated when patients present in a more advanced
stage
REFERENCES
Ain KB, Egorin MJ, DeSimone PA. Treatment of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma
with paclitaxel: phase 2 trial using ninety-six-hour infusion. Collaborative
Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Health Intervention Trials (CATCHIT) Group.
Thyroid, 2000;10(7):587−94.
Brierley JD. Update on external beam radiation therapy in thyroid cancer.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2011;96(8):2289−95.
Foote RL, Molina JR, Kasperbauer JL, et al. Enhanced survival in locoregion-
ally confined anaplastic thyroid carcinoma: a single-institution experience
using aggressive multimodal therapy. Thyroid, 2011;21(1):25−30.
Kebebew E, Greenspan FS, Clark OH, Woeber KA, McMillan A. Anaplastic
thyroid carcinoma. Treatment outcome and prognostic factors. Cancer,
2005;103(7):1330−5.
Ricarte-Filho JC, Ryder M, Chitale DA, et al. Mutational profile of advanced
primary and metastatic radioactive iodine-refractory thyroid cancers
reveals distinct pathogenetic roles for BRAF, PIK3CA, and AKT1. Cancer
Res, 2009;69(11):4885−93.
Smallridge RC, Ain KB, Asa SL. American Thyroid Association Guidelines
for Management of Patients with Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer. Thyroid,
2012;22(11):1104−39.
Smallridge RC, Marlow LA, Copland JA. Anaplastic thyroid cancer:
molecular pathogenesis and emerging therapies. Endocr Relat Cancer,
2009;16(1):17−44.
HYPOTHYROIDISM IN PREGNANCY
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• General signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism are discussed in
Chapter 11. Hypothyroidism
• Pregnancy-related complications of hypothyroidism include premature
birth, miscarriage, placental abruption, gestational hypertension, low
birth weight, fetal death, reduction of infant IQ, motor delay, and a
delay in language and attention
• TPO antibody titers in euthyroid women are associated with fetal loss,
perinatal mortality, and large-for-gestation-age infant
LABORATORY EVALUATION
• TRAb
° Screen women with history of Graves’ at 20−24 weeks gestation
• TPO antibody
° Screening can be considered in women at high risk for
hypothyroidism
• TSH
° Screening in high-risk women
° Monitoring therapy in primary hypothyroidism
° Abnormal if >2.5mU/L in the first trimester and >3mU/L in the
second/third trimester
• FT4
° Screening in high-risk women
° Monitoring therapy in secondary hypothyroidism
DIAGNOSIS
• See Chapter 11, Hypothyroidism
• Primary hypothyroidism
° Overt hypothyroid: elevated TSH and low FT4
° Subclinical hypothyroid: elevated TSH and normal FT4
• Central hypothyroid: low FT4 with low or normal TSH
• Euthyroid with positive antibody: TPO positive and TSH normal
MANAGEMENT
• Primary hypothyroidism
° Preconception TSH goal in normal range but <2.5 mU/L
° Once pregnant, increase LT4 by 30%
° least once between4 26
Monitor TSH every weeks in the first half of pregnancy and at
and 32 weeks gestation
° Target TSH within trimester-specific reference ranges (first
trimester, 0.1–2.5 mIU/L; second trimester, 0.2–3.0 mIU/L; third
trimester, 0.3–3.0 mIU/L)
° Postpartum, LT4 should be reduced to prepregnancy levels and TSH
measured after 6 weeks
• Central hypothyroidism
° LT4 replacement preconception and during pregnancy to target
mid−upper reference range of FT4
° Monitor FT4 every 4 weeks for dose titration during the first half of
pregnancy and at least once between 26 and 32 weeks gestation
after target is reached
HYPERTHYROIDISM IN PREGNANCY
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• General signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism and Graves’ disease
(see Chapter 10, Thyrotoxicosis and Hyperthyroidism)
• Pregnancy related: miscarriages, pregnancy-induced hyperten-
sion, prematurity, low birth weight, intrauterine growth restriction,
stillbirth, thyroid storm, and maternal CHF
• Gestational hyperthyroidism (i.e., HCG-mediated thyrotoxicosis) is
often associated with hyperemesis gravidarum during the first trimes-
ter of pregnancy and resolves by the second trimester; these patients
have a normal thyroid gland on exam
LABORATORY EVALUATION
• TSH
° Screening in high-risk women
°
• FT4
Not used to follow therapy
or radioiodine ablation)
■ History delivering an infant with hyperthyroidism
° Ifultrasound
elevated (3 times upper limit of normal), perform diagnostic fetal
to evaluate for fetal goiter, amniotic fluid volume, fetal
growth, and heart rate; in high risk cases, cordocentesis can be
considered to evaluate the functional status of the fetal thyroid
DIAGNOSIS
• See Chapter 10, Thyrotoxicosis and Hyperthyroidism
• Gestational hyperthyroid
° Low TSH (⫹/⫺ mild elevations in FT4 and T3) identified in the first
trimester
° Resolves by 14−18 weeks gestation
• Primary hyperthyroidism
° Overt hyperthyroid: low TSH and elevated FT4/T3
° Subclinical hyperthyroid: low TSH and normal FT4 (persistent
abnormality in second and third trimesters)
MANAGEMENT
• Gestational hyperthyroidism with or without hyperemesis gravidarum
° Supportive treatment may be sufficient to prevent dehydration
° ATDs can be considered if maternal weight loss or fetal growth
retardation
• Thyrotoxicosis related to Graves’ disease, multinodular goiter, thyroid
nodule during pregnancy
° Radioactive iodine is absolutely contraindicated in pregnancy women
° β-adrenergic blocking agents
■ Propranolol 20−40 mg every 6−8 hours can be considered to
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• See Chapter 14, Thyroid Nodule Evaluation; Chapter 15, Papillar and
Follicular Thyroid Cancer; Chapter 16, Medullary Thyroid Cancer; and
Chapter 17, Anaplastic and Other Poorly Differentiated Thyroid Cancer
Immediate
FNA Anaplastic
surgery
Papillary or
Surgery in follicular
second
trimester or
postpartum Local or
distant
Yes No
2nd US and TG
trimester each trimester
surgery LT4 suppressive therapy
TSH goal 0.1–1.5
Nodule growth
or metastasis
Yes No
POSTPARTUM THYROIDITIS
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Signs and symptoms of hyper- or hypothyroidism can be present
depending on timing of presentation
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• TSH and FT4
° Screen 3–6 months postpartum if history positive of type 1
diabetes, positive TPO antibody, postpartum depression, prior
postpartum thyroiditis
° Assess in all symptomatic patients
■ Permanent hypothyroidism
REFERENCES
Abalovich M, Amino N, Barbour LA, et al. Management of thyroid dysfunction
during pregnancy and postpartum: an Endocrine Society Clinical Practice
Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2007;92(Suppl 8):S1−47.
Committee on Patient Safety and Quality Improvement; Committee on
Professional Liability. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 381: Subclinical
hypothyroidism in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol, 2007;110(4):959−60.
Stagnaro-Green A. Approach to the patient with postpartum thyroiditis.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2012;97(2):334−32.
Stagnaro-Green A, Abalovich M, Alexander E, et al. Guidelines of
the American Thyroid Association for the diagnosis and manage-
ment of thyroid disease during pregnancy and postpartum. Thyroid,
2011;21(10):1081−125.
ANATOMY
• Pyramidal shape; located above the upper poles of kidneys in
retroperitoneum
• Cortex makes up 90% of adrenal weight, medulla makes up 10%
• Blood supply
° Arteries: superior (from inferior phrenic arteries), middle (from
aorta), and inferior adrenal arteries (from renal arteries)
Veins: right adrenal vein → inferior vena cava; left adrenal vein →
° left renal vein
HISTOLOGY
• Adrenal cortex: divided into three histological and functional zones
(mnemonics: G-F-R or salt-stress-sex)
° Zona glomerulosa (outer): secretes aldosterone (mineralocorticoids)
■ 15% of cortical volume
androgens
° Zona fasciculata (intermediate): secretes cortisol (glucocorticoids)
and androgens
■ 75% of cortex, (cortisol >> androgens)
HORMONE SYNTHESIS
• Steroidogenesis (see Figure 19-1)
• Catecholamines synthesis: tyrosine → dehydroxyphenylalanine → DA
(acts primarily as neurotransmitter in CNS) → norepinephrine (NE;
found in adrenal medulla, CNS, and peripheral sympathetic nerves) →
epinephrine (Epi; synthesized only in the adrenal medulla)
Cholesterol
17α hydroxylase 17,20–lyase
Pregnenolone 17OH-Pregnenelone DHEA Androstenediol
3β HSD
Progesterone 17OH-Progesterone Androstenedione Testosterone
21α-hydroxylase
11- 11-deoxycortisol
deoxycorticosterone
11β hydroxylase
Corticosterone Estrone Estradiol
Aldosterone 18-OH corticosterone
synthase
Aldosterone Cortisol
Hypothalamus
CRH
Pituitary
ACTH
Cortisol Adrenal
Cortex
androgens
• Mineralocorticoids
° Main functions: regulation of extracellular volume (via Na resorp-
tion) and control of K + homeostasis
■ Bind to cytoplasmic mineralocorticoid receptor → steroid-
DIAGNOSIS OF AI
• Suspect based on laboratory values and symptoms
• Random or 8 AM cortisol >18 mcg/dL rules out AI
• 8 AM cortisol <5 mcg/dL is highly suspicious for AI in patients not
taking exogenous glucocorticoids
• 250-mcg cosyntropin stimulation test (CST) with measurement of
0-minute (baseline), 30-minute, and 60-minute cortisol
° If■ stimulated cortisol is <18, patient has AI
Check ACTH: high = primary AI, low/normal = secondary AI
° Stimulated cortisol >18 rules out primary or long-term secondary AI
■ Doesn’t rule out early or partial secondary AI as adrenal atrophy
is not present
■ If CST is normal but partial or early secondary AI is suspected,
• If secondary AI is diagnosed
° Inquire about possible exposure to exogenous glucocorticoids (from
any source: oral, IV, intra-articular, topical, inhaled, etc.) or megestrol
° ■ Check pituitary MRI
If no exposure
■ Check other tests of pituitary function
CHRONIC TREATMENT OF AI
• Glucocorticoid replacement
° Typically HC 20 mg (+/– 5 mg) daily in divided doses
■ e.g., 15 mg in the morning and 5 mg in the afternoon; or 10 mg
intact
° Fludrocortisone:
daily
start 100 mcg daily, typical dose 50−250 mcg
bolus steroids
■ Fludrocortisone is not needed
REFERENCES
Arlt W. The approach to the adult with newly diagnosed adrenal insufficiency.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2009;94(4):1059−67.
Batzofin BM, Sprung CL, Weiss YG. The use of steroids in the treatment of
severe sepsis and septic shock. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2011;25(5):735−43.
Bornstein SR. Predisposing factors for adrenal insufficiency. N Engl J Med,
2009;360(22):2328−39.
Chakera AJ, Vaidya B. Addison disease in adults: diagnosis and manage-
ment. Am J Med, 2010;123(5):409−13.
Dellinger RP, Mitchell ML, Rhodes A, et al. Surviving Sepsis Campaign:
International Guidelines for Management of Severe Sepsis and Septic
Shock: 2012. Crit Care Med, 2013;41(2):580−637.
Neary N, Nieman L. Adrenal insufficiency: etiology, diagnosis and treatment.
Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes, 2010;17(3):217−23.
Quinkler M, Hahner S. What is the best long-term management strategy
for patients with primary adrenal insufficiency? Clin Endocrinol (Oxf),
2012;76(1):21−5.
Salvatori R. Adrenal insufficiency. JAMA, 2005;294(19):2481−8.
BACKGROUND
• Results from prolonged exposure to excess glucocorticoids
° Most common cause is iatrogenic (exogenous) from use of high-
dose glucocorticoids to treat other illnesses
° This chapter will focus on endogenous Cushing’s syndrome and will
use the term Cushing’s syndrome to refer to endogenous causes
• Cushing’s syndrome is a rare disorder (1−2 per million) with female
preponderance
• Uncontrolled Cushing’s syndrome results in 5× increased mortality
• Clinical features of Cushing’s syndrome
° Presentation extremely variable as individual features may or may
not present, or may differ depending on age and sex of patient and
severity of hypercortisolism
° Features of Cushing’s syndrome overlap greatly with signs and
symptoms seen in the general population
° proximal muscle
Relatively specific features: facial plethora, wide purple striae,
weakness, thin skin/easy bruising, truncal obesity
with thin extremities
■ In children: weight gain with decreased linear growth
DIAGNOSTIC STRATEGY
• Before proceeding with diagnostic studies, exclude (by detailed
history) exposure to exogenous glucocorticoids
• Any testing strategy for Cushing’s syndrome needs to acknowledge
that the available diagnostic tests have limitations in sensitivity,
specificity, and accuracy; therefore use of multiple tests is often
needed to be certain of the diagnosis
• Diagnostic testing is recommended for
° Patients with multiple and progressive features of Cushing’s
syndrome, particularly those patients with relatively specific
features
° Patients with unusual features for their age (e.g., younger people
with hypertension or osteoporosis)
° Children with adrenal
Patients with incidentaloma
° weight gain but decreased linear growth
• Diagnostic testing may also be considered for obese patients with
poorly controlled diabetes
° Prevalence of Cushing’s syndrome may be 2−5% in this population
• For initial testing, any of the following tests may be performed
depending on patient characteristics (see Standard Diagnostic Tests for
Cushing’s Syndrome)
° 124-hour
mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test (DST)
° Late-night urine collection for free cortisol (done two times)
° 2-day low-dose salivary cortisol (done two times)
DST (0.5 mg q 6 hours × 48 hours)
°
• In patients with a normal test result, further testing may be
performed if there is a very high pretest probability of Cushing’s
syndrome (e.g., a patient with many specific features), if features
progress over 6 months of follow-up, or if cyclic Cushing’s syndrome
is suspected
• Patients with an abnormal test result should be referred to an endocri-
nologist for further testing
° Patients with an abnormal test result should undergo another
recommended screening test
° to have Cushing’s
Patients who have positive results on two different tests are likely
syndrome (assuming Pseudo-Cushing’s syndrome
and use of exogenous glucocorticoids has been considered)
° Patients with normal results on two different tests are very unlikely
to have Cushing’s syndrome except in the rare case of cyclic
Cushing’s
° Patients with discordant results should be followed and reevaluated
as appropriate, especially if there are progressive features of
Cushing’s syndrome over time
response is recommended
• A cutoff of 1.8 rather than 5 increases sensitivity, though at
the loss of specificity
° False positives: use of estrogen-containing compounds including
oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) (increase corticosteroid-binding
globulin [CBG] and cause a 50% false positive rate); use of drugs
that increase dexamethasone metabolism (especially CYP3A4
inducers such as antiepileptics and barbiturates); Pseudo-
Cushing’s syndrome
° False negatives: reduced dexamethasone clearance in renal failure
and hepatic failure; use of drugs that decrease dexamethasone
metabolism (especially CYP3A4 inhibitors such as fluoxetine,
cimetidine, and diltiazem)
• 24-hour urine collection for free cortisol
° Patients should receive careful instructions for performing the
collection, and creatinine should be measured to ensure a complete
collection
° False positives: overcollection of urine, fluid intake >5 liters/day,
any stressful condition that increases cortisol production, Pseudo-
Cushing’s syndrome
° False negatives: undercollection of urine, creatinine clearance
<60 ml/min, mild Cushing’s syndrome, collection during an inactive
period in cyclic Cushing’s
° Urine-free cortisol >4 times the upper limit of normal is highly
specific for Cushing’s syndrome
• Late-night salivary cortisol
° The loss of the nomal cortisol nadir at midnight is a consistent
finding in Cushing’s syndrome
° Cortisol in saliva is in equilibrium with free cortisol in blood
■ Patients collect saliva at bedtime by drooling or chewing on
cotton salivette
<1.8 mcg/dL
° syndrome
Recommended test for patients who may have Pseudo-Cushing’s
possible
° Other therapies may be directed at the underlying tumor depending
on its origin, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, somatostatin
analogues, etc.
° Patients often require antiadrenal medical therapy (see previous
section) or bilateral adrenalectomy to control hypercortisolism
REFERENCES
Arnaldi G, Angeli A, Atkinson AB, et al. Diagnosis and complications of
Cushing’s syndrome: a consensus statement. J Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2003;88(12):5593−602.
Biller BM, Grossman AB, Stewart PM, et al. Treatment of
adrenocorticotropin-dependent Cushing’s syndrome: a consensus
statement. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2008;93(7):2454−62.
Boscaro M, Arnaldi G. Approach to the patient with possible Cushing’s
syndrome. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2009;94(9):3121−31.
Newell-Price J, Bertagna X, Grossman AB, Nieman LK. Cushing’s syndrome.
Lancet, 2006;367(9522):1605−17.
Nieman LK, Biller BM, Findling JW, et al. The diagnosis of Cushing’s syn-
drome: an Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol
Metab, 2008;93(5):1526−40.
Pivonello R, De Martino MC, De Leo M, Lombardi G, Colao A. Cushing’s
syndrome. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am, 2008;37(1):135−49.
Tritos NA, Biller BM, Swearingen B. Management of Cushing disease. Nat Rev
Endocrinol, 2011;7(5):279−89.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Hypertension: primary aldosteronism is thought to account for 5−15%
of patients with hypertension
• Hypokalemia: present in <25% of patients with primary aldosteron-
ism, and <50% with aldosterone-producing adenoma; associated
symptoms include nocturia, polyuria, muscle weakness, cramps,
parasthesias, and palpitations
• May be familial
° Glucocorticoid-remediable aldosteronism (familial hyperaldosteron-
ism type I) inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern and may be
associated with severe, early-onset hypertension
° Familial hyperaldosteronism type II is nonglucocorticoid-
remediable, is not associated with the hybrid gene mutation, and
affected family members may demonstrate either unilateral or
bilateral primary aldosteronism
SUBTYPE DIFFERENTIATION
• Differentiating unilateral from bilateral primary aldosteronism
° Adrenal CT detects all aldosterone-producing carcinomas but
only 50% of aldosterone-producing adenomas and can be frankly
misleading as detected nodules may be nonfunctioning
° Adrenal venous sampling is the only way to reliably distinguish
unilateral from bilateral primary aldosteronism
■ Requires admission to a center with high expertise
■ Samples (at least 2) collected from each adrenal vein in turn and
ful sampling
■ If the aldosterone/cortisol ratio on one side is >2 times higher
MANAGEMENT
• Unilateral primary aldosteronism
° Laparoscopic unilateral adrenalectomy results in cure of hyperten-
sion in 60−80% and improvement in remaining patients
° aldosteronism or contraindicated, treat as for bilateral primary
If surgery declined
REFERENCES
Funder JW, Carey RM, Fardella C, et al. Case detection, diagnosis, and treat-
ment of patients with primary aldosteronism: an endocrine society clinical
practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2008;93(9):3266–81.
Gordon RD. Primary aldosteronism. J Endocrinol Invest, 1995;18(7):495–511.
Mulatero P, Stowasser M, Loh KC, et al. Increased diagnosis of primary
aldosteronism, including surgically correctable forms, in centers from five
continents. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2004;89(3):1045–50.
Stowasser M, Gordon RD. The aldosterone-renin ratio for screening for
primary aldosteronism. Endocrinologist, 2004;14:267–76.
Stowasser M, Gordon RD, Rutherford JC, Nikwan NZ, Daunt N, Slater GJ.
Diagnosis and management of primary aldosteronism. J Renin Angiotensin
Aldosterone Syst, 2001;2(3):156–69.
Young WF, Stanson AW. What are the keys to successful adrenal venous
sampling (AVS) in patients with primary aldosteronism? Clin Endocrinol
(Oxf), 2009;70(1):14–7.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Prevalence: 0.05–0.6% of all hypertensive patients
• Catecholamine-producing tumors of chromaffin cells
° 80% adrenal origin (also known as pheochromocytoma)
° 20% extra adrenal origin (also known as paraganglioma)
■ Sympathetic: paravertebral and paraaortic (neck to pelvis)
• RET → MEN-2
• VHL → Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome (VHL)
• SDHB/D (Succinate Dehydrogenase subunits B and
D) → familial paraganglioma syndrome
• NF1 → neurofibromatosis type 1
■ Minor susceptibility genes (10–15% of hereditary tumors)
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Classic triad: episodic headache + diaphoresis + palpitations
° 90% of pheochromocytoma patients will have at least one symptom
of the classic triad
° Full triad present in 20–30% of pheochromocytoma patients
• General presentation: history of paroxysmal spells lasting several
minutes to an hour
° Predominant
pallor
symptoms: palpitations, anxiety/panic attacks,
■ Normotensive: 5−15%
volume contraction
° Tachycardia
° edemapotential
Other signs: fever, cervical/abdominal lymphadenopathy,
(especially if cardiomyopathy), arrhythmias, palpable tumor
in neck or abdomen, tremors
• Adrenal incidentaloma: ~5% of adrenal incidentaloma are pheo-
chromocytomas; all patients with adrenal incidentaloma should be
screened for Pheo even if asymptomatic; ~25% of pheos are diagnosed
based on evaluation of incidentaloma
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• Screening test strategy
° Begin with plasma-free MNs or 24-hour urinary fractionated MNs
■ MNs (metabolites of Epi and NE) are secreted in a constant
possible
• Rule out false positives from drugs and food
■ Common culprits: antidepressants, cold medication,
chocolate, wine, stress
• Consider clonidine suppression test
■ Measure plasma catecholamines and MNs before and
3 hours after a 0.3 mg/70 kg−oral dose of clonidine
■ Suppression of plasma normetanephrine to <40% of
baseline (or into the normal range) has a high negative
predictive value (i.e. pheochromocytoma is unlikely)
° ■ Plasma or urine tests
Other biochemical
catecholamines (NE, Epi, DA)
• Not recommended for initial diagnosis, but biochemical profile
may give guidance for anatomic localization and genetic
testing
■ Plasma methoxytyramine (DA metabolite)
toma due to clinical and biochemical evidence but who have had
a negative CT/MRI
° PET scanning: for use in specialized situations usually involving
metastatic disease
• Genetic testing (see Figure 23-1)
° Usually indicated in patients <50 years, patients with multiple
tumors or extraadrenal tumors, a family history of pheochromocy-
toma or associated disorders, metastatic tumors, or increased DA
secretion
° Decision for sequence in which to test for mutations is based
on clinical presentation, family history, biochemistry, and
imaging
° Some general guidance
■ NF1 gene too large to be tested and diagnosis always made
clinically
■ If elevated MN and no clinical features of neurofibromatosis,
FIGURE 23.1 Clinical Algorithm for Sequential Gene Testing for Functional Pheo/PGL Based on
139
5/1/13 9:34 PM
140 Pheochromocytoma
MANAGEMENT
Preoperative management
• α blockade
° Pretreatment with an α-blocker beginning about 10−14 days prior
to surgery
° Phenoxybenzamine: noncompetitive α blockers
■ Advantage: cannot be displaced from receptors by an over-
• β blockade
° In patients with tachyarrhythmia, β-blockers (propranolol 40 mg
three times daily, atenolol 25−50 mg once daily) can be added
several days after initiation of α blockade
° αα-mediated
blockade should always precede β blockade to avoid unopposed
vasoconstriction resulting in hypertensive crisis
• In phenoxybenzemine-intolerant patients, labetalol or nicardipine can
be used
• Metyrosine (inhibitor of catecholamine synthesis) is sometimes used pre-
operatively and is an excellent option for patients with metastatic disease
• Liberal salt and fluid intake are encouraged to promote intravascular
expansion
• Adequate preoperative preparation indicated by
° BP <160/90 for at least 24 hours
° Presence of orthostatic hypotension (though BP in upright position
should not fall below 80/45 mm Hg)
° <1 ventricular extrasystole every 5 min
° No new ST-segment changes or T-wave inversions on ECG
Operative management
• Elective surgery preferred as adequate preoperative preparation
improves survival
• Laparoscopic removal preferred as reduces postoperative morbidity,
hospital stay, and expense compared to conventional laparotomy
° Laparotomy
tumors >10 cm
is preferred for patients with recurrent disease or
°Treatment
■ IV infusion of sodium nitroprusside 0.5−5 μg/kg/min
Postoperative management
• Close BP monitoring required
° Hypotension: due to acute withdrawal of catecholamines
■ Volume replacement is the treatment of choice
patient’s total blood volume during the first 24−48 hours after
surgery
° ity, essential hypertension,
Hypertension: related to pain, volume overload, autonomic instabil-
or residual tumor
• Risk of hypoglycemia
MALIGNANT PHEOCHROMOCYTOMAS
• If disease is limited at the time of diagnosis, surgery may be
curative
• Debulking surgery may facilitate subsequent chemotherapy and
131
I-MIBG in patients with more widespread disease
• 131I-MIBG therapy: option for patients who are 123I-MIBG scintigraphy
positive
° More effective for soft tissue than bony metastasis
• Chemotherapy: cyclophosphamide, vincristine and dacarbazine
indicated in patients with negative 123I-MIBG scintigraphy or with
rapidly growing tumors
• EBRT can be used for solitary bone lesions
FOLLOW-UP
• Patients with sporadic tumors: to check for recurrence of tumor,
biochemical testing is done yearly for at least 10 years after
surgery
• Patients with familial or extraadrenal tumors: annual biochemical
testing is done indefinitely
• Patients with malignant pheochromocytoma: the 10-year survival
is ~40%
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the Eunice
Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development,
National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland.
REFERENCES
Chen H, Sippel RS, O’Dorisio MS, et al. The North American Neuroendocrine
Tumor Society consensus guideline for the diagnosis and management of
neuroendocrine tumors: pheochromocytoma, paraganglioma, and medul-
lary thyroid cancer. Pancreas, 2010;39(6):775−83.
Kantorovich V, Pacak K. Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma. Prog Brain
Res, 2010;182:343−73.
K. Pacak. Phaeochromocytoma: a catecholamine and oxidative stress
disorder. Endo Reg, 2011;45(2):23:65−90.
Lenders JW, Eisenhofer G, Mannelli M, Pacak K. Phaeochromocytoma. Lancet,
2005;366(9486):665−75.
Mittendorf EA, Evans DB, Lee JE, Perrier ND. Pheochromocytoma: advances
in genetics, diagnosis, localization, and treatment. Hematol Oncol Clin
North Am, 2007;21(3):509−25.
Zhuang Z, Chunzhang Y, Felipe L, et al. Somatic HIF2A Gain-of-Function
Mutations in Paraganglioma with Polycythemia. N Engl J M, 2012;367(10):
922–30.
48565_ST03_111-160.indd 143
17α 17,20
Pregnenolone 17-hydroxypregnenolone DHEA
3β 3β
Richard Auchus, MD, PhD
17α 17,20 3β
Progesterone 17-hydroxypregesterone Androstenedione Estrone below block (see Figure 24-1)
• Autosomal recessive disorders
21 21
Deoxycorticosterone Deoxycortisol Testosterone Estradiol
11β 11β
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
Aldosterone
5/1/13 9:34 PM
144 Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
TYPES OF CAH
• 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD): most common >95% including
nonclassical
° Classical: presents at birth
■ Block in cortisol and aldosterone production, androgen excess
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• History
° Birth: maternal virilization, DSD (genital ambiguity), hypotension,
poor feeding
° Adult: menses,
Childhood: timing of pubic hair and puberty, growth rate
° muscle weakness, fatigue, androgenization
• Physical exam
° Genitalia:
isosexual
labioscrotal fusion and phallic length, contra—or
° Skin pigmentation,weight,
BP, orthostatics, body proportions
° Males: testis size, consistency,
thinning (on treatment)
° Females: hirsutism, acne, virilization
masses
°
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• Laboratory testing: precursor/product ratio after cosyntropin high
across block
• Imaging
° Adrenal CT or MRI: hyperplasia, usually not necessary
° Massive myelolipomas: low-density CT and loss of signal MRI
out-of-phase
° Ovarian ultrasoundhypoechoic testicular adrenal rest tissue (TART)
Testis ultrasound:
° ■ Polycystic if androgen excess
■ Hypoplasia if androgen block
MANAGEMENT
• 21OHD
° Principles of treatment
■ Maintain euvolemia and BP
° Child/adolescent
■ Classic: similar to newborn
irregular menses
• Replacement HC an option
• Dexamethasone minimal dose (0.25 mg 3 times a week)
• Monitor testosterone, menses, growth and bone age,
hirsutism
° Adult
■ Male: replacement HC + FA normally suffi cient if compliant
infertility
• Other treatments (spironolactone, OCP, mechanical) for
hirsutism
• Genetic counseling: ~70% carriers of classic 21OHD allele
■ Pregnancy
• Continue HC in pregnancy
• Dexamethasone to prevent DSD in female fetus of carrier
parents is not recommended at this time and is considered
experimental
amiloride
• LCAH
° replacement
Classical: raise as females, provide complete steroid hormone
•
°17OHD
Monitor for replacement only
•
°3βHSDD
Estrogen replacement at puberty and adult, add progestin if 46,XX
• PORD
° Highly variable phenotypes
° Requires glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoid replacement
° Accumulating precursors poorly metabolized to active steroids
° Requires gonadal steroid replacement: estrogen for girls, testos-
terone for boys
° Males
surgery
and females have mild DSD, some require reconstruction
REFERENCES
Arlt W, Willis DS, Wild SH, et al. Health status of adults with congenital
adrenal hyperplasia: a cohort study of 203 patients. J Clin Endocrinol
Metab, 2010;95(11):5110−21.
Auchus RJ. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia in adults. Curr Opin Endocrinol
Diabetes Obes, 2010;17(3):210−6.
Casteràs A, De Silva P, Rumsby G, Conway GS. Reassessing fecundity
in women with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH):
normal pregnancy rate but reduced fertility rate. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf),
2009;70(6):833−7.
Claahsen-van der Grinten HL, Otten BJ, Hermus AR, Sweep FC, Hulsbergen-
van de Kaa CA. Testicular adrenal rest tumors in patients with congenital
adrenal hyperplasia can cause severe testicular damage. Fertil Steril,
2008;89(3):597−601.
Merke DP. Approach to the adult with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to
21-hydroxylase deficiency. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2008;93(3):653−60.
Miller WL, Auchus RJ. The molecular biology, biochemistry, and physiology of
human steroidogenesis and its disorders. Endocr Rev, 2011;32(1):81−151.
Reisch N, Flade L, Scherr M, et al. High prevalence of reduced fecundity
in men with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2009;94(5):1665−70.
Speiser PW, Azziz R, Baskin LS, et al. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to
steroid 21-hydroxylase deficiency: an Endocrine Society clinical practice
guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2010;95(9):4133−60.
INTRODUCTION
• The development and widespread use of modern imaging techniques
has led to the detection of adrenal masses in patients with increasing
frequency
• Adrenal masses incidentally discovered by these techniques in the
absence of clinical signs and symptoms of adrenal disease have been
termed adrenal incidentalomas (this definition excludes patients who
are undergoing evaluation for a known malignancy)
• Adrenal masses are found in approximately 4% of patients undergoing
high-resolution imaging studies, and their prevalence increases
with age
• When an adrenal mass is discovered, one must determine whether the
mass is functional and/or malignant, both of which usually necessitate
surgical resection of the mass
PHEOCHROMOCYTOMA
• An increasing number of pheochromocytomas are diagnosed as
adrenal incidentalomas, and up to 1/2 of such patients are without
hypertension at the time of diagnosis
• Both fractionated plasma MNs and 24-hour urinary MNs are reason-
able initial screening tests; however, measurement of plasma MNs
is more convenient for the patient and a normal result makes the
diagnosis of a pheochromocytoma extremely unlikely
• Using the reference range currently utilized by most commercial
laboratories, the measurement of plasma MNs is associated with a
false-positive result in 15−20% of patients
• An elevation of plasma MNs > four times the upper limit of normal is
usually diagnostic for a pheochromocytoma, and further evaluation
may include additional imaging
• Most patients with elevated plasma MNs < three to four times the
upper limit of normal do not have a pheochromocytoma; such patients
need to proceed with measurement of 24-hour urine MNs, and in
selected cases, undergo further confirmatory tests such as a clonidine
suppression test before proceeding with imaging studies
PRIMARY ALDOSTERONISM
• An adrenal incidentaloma in a hypertensive patient requires investiga-
tion for primary aldosteronism, with a prevalence <2%
• Most patients with an aldosterone-producing adenoma are normoka-
lemic and therefore lack of hypokalemia should not preclude further
evaluation
• Measurement of plasma aldosterone and PRA to calculate the ARR is
the best initial test for evaluation of primary aldosteronism
° Aofratio >20 with a serum aldosterone level >9 ng/dL is suggestive
primary aldosteronism; in such patients the PRA is usually sup-
pressed (<1 ng/mL/hour).
• Aldosterone antagonists (spironolactone or eplerenone) should be
discontinued for at least 4 weeks prior to screening
• Patients with an elevated ARR should proceed with a confirmatory test
such as the salt loading test or saline suppression test
Incidentally Discovered
Adrenal Mass
Surgically
Functional remove
< 4 cm ≥ 4 cm
Surgically
≥ 60% < 60%
remove
Follow up CT Concerning
image for up to radiological
two years features
REFERENCES
Boland GW, Blake MA, Hahn PF, Mayo-Smith WW. Incidental adrenal lesions:
principles, techniques, and algorithms for imaging characterization.
Radiology, 2008;249(3):756−75.
Bovio S, Cataldi A, Reimondo G, et al. Prevalence of adrenal incidentaloma
in a contemporary computerized tomography series. J Endocrinol Invest,
2006;29(4):298−302.
Hamrahian AH, Ioachimescu AG, Remer EM, et al. Clinical utility of noncon-
trast computed tomography attenuation value (hounsfield units) to dif-
ferentiate adrenal adenomas/hyperplasias from nonadenomas: Cleveland
Clinic experience. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2005;90(2):871−7.
Motta-Ramirez GA, Remer EM, Herts BR, Gill IS, Hamrahian AH. Comparison
of CT findings in symptomatic and incidentally discovered pheochromocy-
tomas. AJR Am J Roentgenol, 2005;185(3):684−8.
Nunes ML, Vattaut S, Corcuff JB, et al. Late-night salivary cortisol
for diagnosis of overt and subclinical Cushing’s syndrome in
hospitalized and ambulatory patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2009;94(2):456−62.
Pantalone KM, Gopan T, Remer EM, et al. Change in adrenal mass size as a
predictor of a malignant tumor. Endocr Pract, 2010;16(4):577−87.
Sawka AM, Jaeschke R, Singh RJ, Young WF Jr. A comparison of bio-
chemical tests for pheochromocytoma: measurement of fractionated
plasma metanephrines compared with the combination of 24-hour
urinary metanephrines and catecholamines. J Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2003;88(2):553−8.
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Hormone-secreting ACC (~60%): Cushing’s syndrome (45%);
Cushing’s syndrome with hyperandrogenemia/virilization (25%);
hyperandrogenemia/virilization alone (10%); estrogen excess (gyneco-
mastia in men, uterine bleeding in women) or mineralocorticoid excess
(hypertension, edema) in <10%
• Nonsecreting tumors (~40%): abdominal pain or incidental
adrenal mass
• Fever and leucocytosis may occur from tumor necrosis
Imaging investigation
• Unenhanced CT scan attenuation >10 HU: review with radiologist for
features suggesting ACC: size >6 cm, irregular borders, heterogeneous
density, calcifications, local invasion, adjacent adenopathies
ENSAT: also venous tumor thrombus in vena cava/renal vein; T1 tumor = <5 cm, T2 tumor = >5 cm, T3
tumor= infiltration in surrounding tissue, T4 tumor = invasion in adjacent organs, N0 = no positive lymph
nodes, N1= positive lymph node(s), M0 = no distant metastases, M1 = presence of distant metastasis
PATHOLOGICAL EVALUATION
• Review slides of tumor or biopsy material with expert pathologist and
assess Weiss score
• Five criteria are used in the updated Weiss score: >6 mitoses/50 high
power fields, ≤25% clear tumor cells, abnormal mitoses, necrosis, and
capsular invasion
° Each is scored 0 when absent, or 2 for the first two criteria and
1 for the last three when present; malignancy is a total score ≥3
• Evaluate Ki-67 index, IGF-2, P-53, and SF1 by immunohistochemistry
• Tumor genetic markers of malignancy and prognosis under
development
ADVANCED DISEASE
• Surgically remove resectable residual tumor or isolated metastatic
lesions if complete resection is possible
• Initiate mitotane as rapidly as possible to 6 g/day split during 3 meals
to reach serum levels of 14–20 mcg/ml; monitor every 2–3 weeks
initially to adjust dose
• Use antinausea drugs as needed (prochloperazine, metoclopramide,
serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist)
• Control steroid excess with mitotane and steroid enzyme inhibitors
such as metyrapone or ketoconazole
• Correct hypokalemia with potassium supplements, spironolactone,
eplerenone, or amiloride
• Frequent monitoring of electrolytes, creatinine, urinary cortisol to
avoid acute hyperkalemia when cortisol excess is controlled
• Treat diabetes and high BP
urinary-free cortisol
■ Serum cortisol levels are not reliable because mitotane increases
CBG levels
• Add fludrocortisone replacement when renin levels increase; require-
ments may be increased two-to threefold by mitotane and are adjusted
based on BP and renin levels
• Monitor TSH, FT4, and testosterone, which can be effected by mitotane
Systemic Chemotherapy
• In advanced metastatic disease, administer combination of etoposide,
doxorubicin, and cisplatin (EDP) with mitotane as first choice
• Second-line therapy may be steptozotocin and mitotane or other
combination therapies preferably in the context of multicenter
collaborative research protocols
• Consider salvage therapy with new drugs such as IGF-1 receptor
antagonists or TKI within multicenter research protocols
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adrenocortical carcinoma: proposal for a Revised TNM Classification.
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adrenal cancer: recommendations of an international consensus confer-
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carcinoma. Eur Urol, 2011;60(5):1055–65.
° Responds
basis
to fluctuations in ionized calcium on minute-to-minute
broccoli
° Supplemental
supplements)
calcium intake (i.e., multivitamin and calcium
PTH
• Parathyroid gland anatomy
° 4lobes
small ovoid glands located on the dorsal aspect of left and right
of the thyroid
■ Inferior parathyroid glands derived from third branchial pouches
eosinophilic cytoplasm
• Structure and synthesis of PTH
° 84-amino acid polypeptide synthesized as a pre-prohormone by the
chief cells of the parathyroid
° ing PTH <5 minutes)cleaved by liver and kidney (half-life of circulat-
PTH proteolytically
■ ↓ iCa 2+
stimulates PTH secretion
° Regulated by serum magnesium Mg2+
■ ↓ Mg 2+ can inhibit PTH secretion and action
• Actions of PTH
° Bone
■ ↑ bone resorption of calcium by directly stimulating osteoblasts
VITAMIN D
• Structure and synthesis of vitamin D
° Inactive prohormones
■ Vitamin D : ergocalciferol
2
• Produced by photolysis (UVB) from ergosterol (in plants)
■ Vitamin D : cholecalciferol
3
• Produced by UVB from 7-dehydrocholesterol
• Formed in the skin, mainly in the deepest layers of the
epidermis
■ 25-hydroxyvitamin D: calcidiol (or calcifediol)
° ↓ parathyroid
↑ renal Ca2+ reabsorption
° ■ ↓ PTH polypeptide
gland PTH secretion
gene expression
■ ↑ CaSR gene expression
• Recommended vitamin D
° Dietary
egg
source: dairy, fish (e.g., salmon, trout, and tuna), liver,
° Exposure
a day
to UVB: direct sunlight to the skin for 10−15 minutes
CALCITONIN
• Structure and synthesis of calcitonin
° 32-amino acid polypeptide hormone synthesized by the para-
follicular C cells of the thyroid
° Normal serum calcitonin levels <19 pg/mL with a half-life <1 hour
• Secretion of calcitonin
° inhibited
↑ serum ionized Ca2+ levels stimulate calcitonin secretion, release
by hypocalcemia
° Secretion under control of serum ionized calcium using the same
CaSR that regulates PTH secretion in the parathyroid gland
° Nonessential physiologic role in human calcium handling or bone
metabolism; decrease in serum levels of calcium (and phosphate)
requires supraphysiologic calcitonin levels
° Causes natriuresis as well as calcium and phosphate excretion in
renal tubules
• Calcitonin receptor (CTR)
° Gs/Gq expressed on osteoclasts in addition to the proximal tubules
of the kidney
• Actions of calcitonin
° Bone
■ ↓ bone resorption of calcium by rapidly deactivating osteoclasts,
Ca2+
REFERENCES
Costanzo LS. Chapter 9. Endocrine Physiology. In: Costanzo LS, ed. Physiology.
4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders-Elsevier; 2010.
Gardner DG, Shoback D. Greenspan’s Basic & Clinical Endocrinology. 9th ed.
New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2011.
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Dietary reference intakes
for calcium and vitamin D. Available at: www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/
Dietary-Reference-Intakes-for-Calcium-and-Vitamin-D.aspx. Accessed
Nov, 2010.
INCIDENCE
• Primary Hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and malignancy account for 90%
of hypercalcemia cases
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Increase bone resorption
° PHPT
■ Autonomous production of PTH via: an adenoma (85%), 4-gland
■ Hypervitaminosis A
■ Thyrotoxicosis
■ Teriparatide therapy
■ Lymphoma
• Miscellaneous
° Lithium therapy
° Addisonian crisis
° Theophylline
Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia
° Pheochromocytoma
toxicity
° Acute renal failure (usually with rhabdomyolysis)
°
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• History: symptoms depend on the severity and rapidity of
hypercalcemia
° Acute increase to >12 mg/dL: polyuria, polydipsia, volume deple-
tion, anorexia, nausea, weakness, and change in mental status
° Chronic
°
Clinical manifestations may include
■ Nephrolithiasis, nephrocalcinosis
■ Cognitive dysfunction
■ Mild weakness
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• Laboratory testing and imaging
° Check calcium with albumin and ionized calcium
■ Calculate corrected calcium
suspect FHH
■ Positive family or personal history of endocrine tumors →
Hyperarathyroidism
• Determine if surgical indications (Figure 28-2)
• Parathyroid imaging only required if patient meets surgical
indications
■ Appropriately suppressed (<20) = malignancy versus other
conditions
• Ask medical history
■ Intake of large doses of calcium-based antacids (milk-
alkali syndrome)
■ Vitamin D intoxication (high 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD)
>125 ng/mL)
■ Vitamin A (including analogues used to treat acne)
use
■ Immobilization
MANAGEMENT
• Acute treatment
° Calcium
status)
>12 mg/dL with severe symptoms (change in mental
■ Reverse intravascular volume depletion
REFERENCES
Bilezikian JP, Khan AA, Potts JT Jr. Guidelines for the management of asymp-
tomatic primary hyperparathyroidism: summary statement from the third
international workshop. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2009;94(2):335−9.
Deftos LJ. Hypercalcemia in malignant and inflammatory diseases.
Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am, 2002;31(1):141−58.
Kacprowicz RF, Lloyd JD. Electrolyte complications of malignancy. Hematol
Oncol Clin North Am, 2010;24(3):553−65.
Lafferty FW. Differential diagnosis of hypercalcemia. J Bone Miner Res,
1991;6(Suppl 2):S51−9.
Stewart AF. Clinical practice. Hypercalcemia associated with cancer. N Engl J
Med, 2005;352(4):373−9.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• PHPT
° Approximately 90% of cases are caused by sporadic PTH-secreting
solitary adenoma of parathyroid chief cells, multiglandular hyper-
plasia approximately 5%, parathyroid carcinoma <1%
° May be associated with hereditary syndromes such as
■ Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1
■ Familial-isolated hyperparathyroidism
■ Lithium shifts the set point of calcium PTH curve to the right
° Prior radiation exposure to head and neck or RAI may also contrib-
ute to development of PHPT
• Secondary hyperparathyroidism
° Commonly seen in hypocalcemia, vitamin D insufficiency, or chronic
kidney disease
■ Hypocalcemia simulates PTH
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• PHPT
° Symptomatic PHPT
■ Only 15% of patients present at this stage in developed countries,
countries
■ May have fatigue or mild depression
■ May have low bone density with preferential bone loss at cortical
skeletal sites
° Normocalcemic hyperparathyroidism
■ Normal serum calcium and persistently elevated PTH levels with
• Secondary hyperparathyroidism
° Bowing of the bone
Osteoporosis, pain, fractures
° Proximal muscle tibiae and femora may be seen in children
° Myopathy weakness may occur with vitamin D deficiency
°
• Tertiary hyperparathyroidism
° Fragility fractures, muscle weakness
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• History: evaluate for evidence of skeletal fragility or prior renal stones;
exclude other causes of hypercalcemia including thyroid disease, AI,
granulomatous disease, immobility, presence of malignancy; evaluate
medications particularly use of thiazide diuretics, vitamin D, vitamin A,
antacids, or lithium (see Chapter 28, Hypercalcemia)
• On examination check
° BP, pulse, volume status
° Neck masses
° Dorsal kyphosis, height loss
• Biochemical evaluation
° Intact PTH
■ PTH ↑ in parathyroid related causes of hypercalcemia
° Serum phosphorous
■ ↓ or low normal in PHPT
° 25 hydroxyvitamin D
■ In PHPT, 25-hydroxyvitamin D is usually low-normal since it is
suspected
° Consider
Check creatinine and estimate GFR
° Bone density
ultrasound of kidneys to exclude occult renal stones
° skeletal effectatoflumbar
PHPT
spine, hip, and 1/3 radial site to assess
MANAGEMENT
• Stop precipitating medications if possible (e.g., HCTZ and lithium)
• Calcium supplements can be discontinued if serum calcium is
elevated
• If hypercalcemic crisis (see Chapter 28, Hypercalcemia)
° Begin saline infusion to correct volume contraction
° Saline increases GFR and filtered calcium load
° Diuretics (i.e., furosemide) following volume replacement esp. in
patients at risk for heart failure
° symptomatic hypercalcemia
IV bisphosphonates and calcitonin can be considered for severe or
normal
■ Calculated creatinine clearance <60 mls/min
■ Age <50
REFERENCES
Bilezikian JP, Khan AA, Potts JT Jr. Guidelines for the Management of
Asymptomatic Primary Hyperparathyroidism: Summary Statement
from the Third International Workshop. J. Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2009;94(2):335–39.
Khan A, Bilezikian JP, Potts JT Jr. The Diagnosis and Management of
Asymptomatic Primary Hyperparathyroidism Revisited. J. Clin. Endocrinol
Metab, 2009;94(2):333–334.
Pallan S, Rahman O, Khan A. Hyperparathyroidism Diagnosis and
Management A Clinical Review BMJ, 2012;344:e1012.
Silverberg SJ, Lewiecki EM, Mosekilde L, Peacock M, Rubin MR. Presentation
of asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism: proceedings of the Third
International Workshop. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2009;94(2):351–65.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Common and potentially life threatening condition caused by
° An imbalance in the absorption of calcium from the GI tract and its
urinary excretion
° An excessive amount of calcium leaving the circulation to be
incorporated into bone matrix
SPECIFIC CAUSES
• Vitamin D deficiency/resistance
° Low exposure to UV light
° Low nutritional intake
° Drugs that accelerate vitamin D metabolism (e.g., anticonvulsants)
Malabsorption
° VDR mutations (very rare)
°
• Reduced vitamin D activation
° Hypoparathyroidism (post–neck surgery or autoimmune)
° Hypomagnesemia (functional hypoparathyroidism)
° Kidney disease
° PTH resistance
• Other etiology
° Autosomal dominant hypocalcemia (calcium-sensing mutation,
usually asymptomatic)
° Sclerotic
bone)
metastases (movement of circulating calcium into
° magnesium after
Hungry bone syndrome (massive skeletal uptake of calcium and
successful surgery for PHPT)
° Massive
products)
blood transfusion (due to calcium chelators in blood
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Depends on degree of hypocalcemia and its rate of onset
• Risks of symptoms much higher if rapid fall in calcium level
• Acute symptoms due to abnormal neuromuscular function
• Symptoms
° Paraesthesia (tingling in hands or perioral)
° Muscle twitches or spasms
° Seizures
Diffi culty breathing (suggests laryngeal spasm)
° Palpitations (rare)
° Psychiatric manifestations (e.g., depression, psychosis)
° Visual symptoms (secondary to optic atrophy; rare)
°
• Features suggesting underlying diagnosis: frequency of sun exposure,
dietary intake of foods containing vitamin D, previous neck surgery,
symptoms suggesting malabsorption, family history of hypocalcemia
or neck operations
• Drug history with focus on medications that could cause vitamin D
deficiency (e.g., anticonvulsants) or hypomagnesemia (diuretics, PPIs)
• Physical examination
° Examine for overt signs of neuromuscular excitability (e.g., muscle
twitches, spasms)
° Chvostek’s sign: muscle twitching of facial muscles following
pressure over facial nerve in the parotid region (positive in ~70%
of patients with hypocalcemia and in ~10% of nonhypocalcemic
individuals)
° Trousseau’s sign: carpal spasm induced by mild tissue hypoxia
induced by inflation of BP cuff for up to 3 minutes (positive in
>90% of patients with hypocalcemia and in ~1% of nonhypocalce-
mic individuals)
° Proximal myopathy (would support vitamin D deficiency)
° Evidence of skeletal dysplasia (Albright’s hereditary
osteodystrophy) – short third and fourth metacarpals
LABORATORY TESTING
• Serum calcium exists either in an ionized form (~50%) or is bound to
albumin or other ions
° While only ionized calcium is biologically important, typical lab
measurement of serum calcium measures “total” (bound and
unbound) calcium and therefore needs to be adjusted for serum
albumin, using the following formula
■ Corrected calcium (mg/dL) = serum calcium + [0.8 × (4-serum
albumin in g/dL)]
■ This is only an approximation
Hypocalcemia (adjusted
for albumin)
Hypoparathyroidism
25-hydroxy
Calcium sensing defect
vitamin D
(rare)
LOW NORMAL
Vitamin D Pseudo-
deficiency hypoparathyroidism
Calcium deficiency
(rare)
FIGURE 30.1 Diagnostic Evaluation Scheme for Hypocalcemia
Source: BMJ June 7, 2008 Volume 336 page 1301
MANAGEMENT
• See Figure 30-2
• In hypomagnesemia, hypocalcemia is unlikely to correct without
replacement of magnesium
• Calcium infusion: 10 ampoules of 10 mL of 10% calcium gluconate
in 1L of 5% dextrose or 0.9% saline; initial infusion rate 50 mL/
hour aiming to maintain serum calcium at lower end of reference
range; infusion of 10 mL/kg of this solution over 4–6 hours is likely to
increase serum calcium ~1.2–2.0 mg/dL
REFERENCES
Cooper MS, Gittoes NJ. Diagnosis and management of hypocalcaemia. BMJ,
2008;336(7656):1298–302.
Pearce SH, Cheetham TD. Diagnosis and management of vitamin D
deficiency. BMJ, 2010;340:b5664.
Shoback D. Clinical practice. Hypoparathyroidism. N Engl J Med,
2008;359(4):391–403.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Vitamin D is a steroid hormone important in the maintenance of
calcium homeostasis and optimal skeletal health; vitamin D may have
other effects outside its classic role in calcium and bone
• Metabolism of vitamin D
° Vitamin D is made in skin (vitamin D3) or absorbed in the intestines
(vitamin D2 and vitamin D3)
° Vitamin D enters the circulation and is hydroxylated in the liver to
form 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), which is the best marker for
vitamin D status
° Atosecond hydroxylation step occurs in the kidney and other tissues
form 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), which is the hormon-
ally active form of vitamin D
° 1,25(OH)
900 genes
2D binds to the VDR and then DNA in cells to regulate over
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Medical history
° Most patients with vitamin D deficiency are asymptomatic
° More
pain
moderate-to-severe deficiency may result in muscle and bone
MANAGEMENT
• Vitamin D 400−800 IU recommended per day (see Chapter 27, Calcium
Metabolism Essentials)
° Dietary sources of vitamin D include milk, fish (e.g., salmon, tuna),
beef liver
° day (the amount
Exposure to UVB: direct sunlight to the skin for 10−15 minutes a
may vary according to time of day, season, age,
adiposity, skin tone)
• Vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency requires additional supplementa-
tion; cholecalciferol (D3) appears to be superior to ergocalciferol (D2) in
terms of bioavailability and circulating half-life of 25(OH)D
REFERENCES
Ganji V, Zhang X, Tangpricha V. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations
and prevalence estimates of hypovitaminosis D in the U.S. population
based on assay-adjusted data. J Nutr, 2012;142(3):498−507.
Holick MF, Binkley NC, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, et al. Evaluation, treatment, and
prevention of vitamin D deficiency: an Endocrine Society clinical practice
guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2011;96(7):1911−30.
Ross AC, Manson JE, Abrams SA, et al. The 2011 report on dietary reference
intakes for calcium and vitamin D from the Institute of Medicine: what
clinicians need to know. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2011;96(1):53−8.
EPIDEMIOLOGY
• In the US, it is estimated that there are 10 million people with osteopo-
rosis and another 33 million at risk for osteoporosis (i.e., osteopenia)
• Osteoporotic fractures are estimated to occur in
° 11 in
in 2 postmenopausal Caucasian women
° 5 men >50 years
• Osteoporotic fractures typically involve the spine, hip, and forearm
° Vertebral (spine) fractures are usually asymptomatic but can lead
to kyphosis and restrictive lung disease
° mortality are associated with an increase in morbidity and
Hip fractures
■ Mortality rates can be as high as 10−20% after a hip fracture
DEFINITION
• Osteoporosis is diagnosed based on BMD measurements at spine, hip,
or forearm
° Two sites, typically spine and hip, are measured with a dual-energy
X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has set criteria for diagnosis
based on the T-score, which represents a standard deviation of
the calculated BMD when compared with healthy 20−30 year-old
controls
BONE METABOLISM
• Bone remodeling exists in a state of balance between bone formation
and bone resorption
° Osteoblasts are responsible for new bone formation
° Osteoclasts are responsible for bone resorption
• Prior to age 25−30, this balance favors bone formation. As a person
ages, the balance shifts towards bone resorption. Reductions in sex
hormones, testosterone and estrogen, accelerate the bone loss.
• A person’s peak bone mass will determine the density of bone present
prior to the expected bone loss seen with aging, and is influenced by
a number of factors, including genetics, lifetime calcium and vitamin
D intake, level of physical activity, and exposure to a number of
secondary causes
RISK FACTORS
• Major risk factors associated with fractures in Caucasian women
SCREENING
• Multiple guidelines exist for screening (Table 32-4)
• In general, all women > age 65 should be screened
• Little consensus exists in terms of interval between screening
TREATMENT
• For a diagnosis of osteopenia or osteoporosis both calcium (1000−
1200 mg daily) and Vitamin D (800−1000 units daily) are recommended;
dietary sources of calcium are preferred (see Chapter 27, Calcium
Metabolism Essentials)
• Weight-bearing and balance exercises can also help to prevent fractures
REFERENCES
ACOG Committee Opinion No. 407: low bone mass (osteopenia) and fracture
risk. Obstet Gynecol, 2008;111(5):1259−61.
Cummings, SR, MD et al, Risk Factors for Hip Fracture in White Women, The
Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Group, N Engl J Med, 1995;332:767–73.
Khosla, Sundeep MD and Melton, Joseph, MD, MPH. Osteopenia. N Engl J Med,
2007;356:2293–300.
Low bone mass (osteopenia) and fracture risk. ACOG Committee Opionion
No. 407. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet
Gynecol, 2008;111:1259–61.
National Osteoporosis Foundation. Clinician’s Guide to Prevention and
Treatment of Osteoporosis. Washington, DC: National Osteoporosis
Foundation; 2010.
Qaseem, Amir MD et al; Screening for Osteoporosis in Men: A Clinical Practice
Guideline from the American College of Physicians. Annals of Internal
Medicine. 2008 May;148(9):680–684.
Screening for Osteoporosis: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
Recommendation Statement. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2011
Mar;154(5):356–364.
ETIOLOGY
• Genetic: data consistent with important genetic component with
documented mutations in sporadic and familial Paget’s disease
• Viral: possibility of an underlying paramyxoviral infection based
on findings of viral-like inclusions in pagetic osteoclasts and other
extensive but somewhat conflicting laboratory data
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Focal disorder of one or more bones (frequent sites include pelvis,
skull, spine, femur, tibia) characterized by accelerated remodeling,
high bone turnover
• Initially, bone changes characterized by an increase in number and bone
resorbing activity of enlarged osteoclasts with up to 100 nuclei per cell
• Subsequently, there is an associated increase in abnormal activity
of marrow stromal cells and an increase in number and activity of
osteoblasts with abnormal bone formation
• As a result, bone mass tends to increase and normal lamellar bone is
replaced by a chaotic mosaic pattern of woven and lamellar bone that
is structurally inferior to normal bone
• Increased vascularity of pagetic bone and marrow, replacement of
bone marrow by fibrous connective tissue
• A later phase is characterized by diminished bone turnover and scle-
rotic bone consistent with so-called “burned out” Paget’s disease
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Frequently, an asymptomatic patient with an incidental radiologic finding
and/or an increase in serum alkaline phosphatase on blood chemistry profile
• Bone pain related to increased vascularity, advancing lytic lesions in
long bones, deformation, fissure and chalkstick fractures, nonunion of
fractures in up to 10% of cases
• Joint pain due to degeneration of hip and/or knee joints (secondary
osteoarthritis) adjacent to pagetic bone
• Abnormal posture with abnormal tilt of trunk due to enlarged vertebral,
pelvic, and/or long bone deformities
• Bone deformity, long-bone bowing, skull enlargement with and without
frontal bossing, facial bone deformities
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
• Angioid streaks on retinal exam
• Skull enlargement with or without frontal bossing or supraorbital
deformities, corrugation of skull surface, hearing deficits, deformation
of long bones with bowing, facial and clavicular deformities
• Increased warmth over pagetic bone
• Postural changes and gait abnormalities related to severe deformities
of spine, pelvis, and/or long bones
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• Biochemical
° Increase in serum alkaline phosphatase and/or bone-specific
alkaline phosphatase, increase in bone resorption markers such as
urine N-telopeptide of collagen cross-links (NTx)/creatinine ratio or
plasma C-telopeptide of collagen cross-links (CTx)
° Degree of biochemical abnormalities related to extent of disease
and skull involvement
• Imaging
° Technetium bone scan most sensitive in delineating pagetic sites
of involvement
° Skeletal
on scan
X-rays provide a definitive assessment of positive sites
MANAGEMENT
• Rationale: to decrease bone turnover through inhibition of osteoclastic
bone resorption with bisphosphonates or calcitonin
• Objectives: to alleviate pagetic-related symptoms, effect sustained
biochemical and clinical remissions, prevent progression of pagetic
disease
• Comments
° Generally, the greater the activity and extent of disease, the higher
the serum alkaline phosphatase level and the greater likelihood of a
diminished response to therapy
° Before therapy, critically important to optimize calcium and vitamin D
intake to avoid hypocalcemia with bisphosphonate therapy
• Indications for therapy
° Extensive disease
° Pagetic pain
° Pagetic deformity
Pagetic fracture
° Neurologic complications
° Area(s) of critical involvement
° High-output CHF
° Preparation for surgery on pagetic bone to prevent excess bleeding
° Sarcoma
°
• Pharmacotherapy
° Aminobisphosphonates
■ Pamidronate (Aredia): 30 mg each day for 3 days given IV (over
30−minute period
• Efficacy: single most potent therapy with rapid normalization
of serum alkaline phosphatase and more sustained remissions
in 90% of patients
• Adverse effects: similar to therapy with pamidronate
■ Alendronate (Fosamax): 40 mg per day given orally for 6 months
REFERENCES
Ralston SH, Langston AL, Reid IR. Pathogenesis and management of Paget’s
disease of bone. Lancet, 2008;372(9633):155–63.
Reid IR, Lyles K, Su G, et al. A single infusion of zoledronic acid produces
sustained remissions in Paget disease: data to 6.5 years. J Bone Miner
Res, 2011;26(9):2261–70.
Reid IR, Miller P, Lyles K, et al. Comparison of a single infusion of
zoledronic acid with risedronate for Paget’s disease. N Engl J Med,
2005;353(9):898–908.
Shankar S, Hosking DJ. Biochemical assessment of Paget’s disease of bone.
J Bone Miner Res, 2006;21(Suppl 2):22–7.
TESTES
• Paired organs, each 15–30 ml volume (3.5–5.5 cm length, 2–3 cm
width)
• Endocrine and exocrine functions
° Endocrine function: synthesis and secretion of androgenic and
estrogenic hormones (primarily testosterone) and other hormones
involved in sexual differentiation and spermatogenesis (antimulle-
rian hormone [AMH], inhibin, androgen-binding protein, insulin-like
factor 3 [INSL3])
° Exocrine function: spermatogenesis
• Two compartment model
° Seminiferous tubules (exocrine compartment): 600–1200 per testis
■ Differentiating germ cells (germ cell → spermatogonia →
neurovascular cells
and function
° alkaline fluid containing
Bulbourethral glands: secrete initial part of the ejaculate, a clear
glycoproteins that provides mechanical
lubrication and neutralizes the acidic mileu in the male urethral
and female vaginal tract
SEXUAL DIFFERENTIATION
• Four to six weeks gestation: migration of primordial germ cells from yolk
sac to genital ridge (primitive bipotential gonad) and development of
mesonephric (Wollfian) and paramesonephric (Mullerian) duct systems
• Testicular differentiation occurs in the presence of a Y chromosome via
activation of the transcription factor SRY (sex-determining region of
the Y chromosome) leading to
° Sertoli differentiation (week 7)
° AMH production with Mullerian duct regression (weeks 7–12)
° (weeks 8–9)differentiation with androgen and INSL3 production
Leydig cell
NEUROENDOCRINE REGULATION
• Pulsatile hypothalamic GnRH release drives pulsatile LH (12–16 pulses/
day) and FSH release (less pulsatility)
° Differential activation of gonadotropins gene expression in
response to pulse frequency
• Regulation of GnRH via central neurotransmitters (stimulatory:
kisspeptin, neurokinin; inhibitory: dynorphin, PRL, opiates, CRH/
glucocorticoids) and peripheral metabolic signals (stimulatory: leptin)
Opiates
Prolactin
--
Glucocorticoids
+ Hypothalmus +/--
Hypothalamic
KNDy neurons
GnRH
Leptin +
Pituitary --
-- Estrogen
LH
Peripheral
fat stores FSH
Testosterone
Inhibin + DHT
Testes
Note: Steroid hormone feedback regulation at the level of the hypothalamus is felt
to be indirect and mediated via hypothalamic KNDy neurons containing kisspeptin
(K), neurokinin (N) and dynorphin (Dy). Kisspeptin and neurokinin promote GnRH
release while dynorpnin is inhibitory.
REFERENCES
Bronson R. Biology of the male reproductive tract: its cellular and morpho-
logical considerations. Am J Reprod Immunol, 2011;65(3):212–9.
Lehman MN, Coolen LM, Goodman RL. Minireview: kisspeptin/neurokinin
B/dynorphin (KNDy) cells of the arcuate nucleus: a central node in the
control of gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion. Endocrinology,
2010;151(8):3479–89.
Matsumoto AM, Bremner WJ. Testicular disorders. In: Melmed S, Polonsky KS,
Larsen PR, Kronenberg HM. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 12th ed.
Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:688–777.
Sam S, Frohman LA. Normal physiology of hypothalamic pituitary regulation.
Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am, 2008;37(1):1–22.
Turek P. Male reproductive physiology. In: Wein A, Kavoussi W, Novick A,
Partin A, Peters C. Urology. 10th ed. Boston, MA: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:
591 Chapter 20:591–625.
• Gynecomastia definition
° Benign enlargement of male breast
• Pseudogynecomastia (lipomastia)
° Fatty breasts, common in obese men, no true glandular breast
tissue palpable
• Pathophysiology
° Altered androgen (A) to estrogen (E) ratio
■ ↓ level or action of androgens, and/or
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Often asymptomatic, incidentally found on routine exam, especially at
extremes of age (puberty and aging)
• Breast pain, sensitivity: in men with recent-onset enlargement
• Breast enlargement: usually symmetrical, bilateral
TABLE 35.2 History and Physical Examination in Gynecomastia
History Physical Exam
Duration of gynecomastia General: thyroid, stigmata of liver disease
Breast pain or tenderness Degree of virilization: voice, facial and
body hair, skeletal muscle mass
Underlying systemic disease Genitalia: penile size and development,
testicular size and/or masses
Fertility and sexual function
Use of medications, recreational drugs, Breast exam: rule out fatty breasts
and supplements (specifically anabolic (lipomastia) and malignancy, unilateral
steroids, marijuana, opiates) or bilateral, symmetric or asymmetric
enlargement
Any exposure to estrogenic chemicals
including phytoestrogens
Family history of gynecomastia: suggests Worrisome findings suggestive of breast
androgen insensitivity or aromatase cancer: asymmetry, eccentric location (not
excess syndromes centered beneath the areola), fixation to
the skin or chest wall, nipple retraction,
bleeding or nipple discharge, ulceration, or
associated lymphadenopathy (if present,
refer to expert breast surgeon for excision
and/or biopsy)
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• Laboratory testing: serum testosterone (total and/or bioavailable),
estradiol, LH, FSH, PRL, β-hCG, TSH, BUN/creatinine, LFTs
• Imaging: NO need for routine mammograms, ultrasounds, or any other
imaging study in men with gynecomastia unless there are any worri-
some signs of malignancy or the breast enlargement is asymmetric,
unilateral, or recent onset
MANAGEMENT
• Observation: in healthy men with longstanding stable gynecomastia,
puberty, aging
• Withdrawal of offending agent (if reversible cause of gynecomastia
found on workup)
° Up to 50% of gynecomastia may be due to drugs; stopping offend-
ing drug may lead to spontaneous resolution of gynecomastia in
6−12 months
• Medical Rx
° In symptomatic men, especially if gynecomastia of recent onset
(<2 years)
° ■ May worsenRx:gynecomastia
Testosterone in men with hypogonadism
(testosterone aromatized to estradiol)
° Tamoxifen (antiestrogen): drug of choice (off-label); 10−20 mg/day
for 3−9 months; raloxifene 60 mg/day may be equally effective
° Anastrazole (aromatase inhibitor): in men with aromatase excess
syndrome or who develop gynecomastia on testosterone therapy
• Breast irradiation: in men with prostate cancer planning androgen
ablation therapy, breast irradiation may prevent gynecomastia
• Surgery
° Ifmastia,
medical therapy ineffective or declined, for longstanding gyneco-
or for cosmesis
° regrowth
Rule out underlying endocrine disorder BEFORE surgery (to prevent
of breast tissue after surgery)
REFERENCES
Braunstein GD. Clinical practice. Gynecomastia. N Engl J Med, 2007;357(12):
1229−37.
Carlson HE. Approach to the patient with gynecomastia. J Clin Endocrinol
Metab, 2011;96(1):15−21.
Narula HS, Carlson HE. Gynecomastia. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am,
2007;36(2):497−519.
PREVALENCE
• Symptomatic androgen deficiency prevalence increases with age:
<70 yrs age 3.1−7%; >70 yrs age 18.4%
• Diagnosis requires presence of signs/symptoms + low testosterone
level
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
ETIOLOGY
HISTORY
• Depressed mood, quality of life, confidence
• Developmental history (testicular descent, onset of puberty, body/
facial hair development, age achieved maximal height)
• Detailed medical history (systemic illness, sexually transmitted diseases
[STDs], orchitis, orchiectomy, irradiation, prostate surgery, drugs)
• Detailed sexual history (libido, erectile and ejaculatory function,
coitus, fertility)
• Frequency of shaving, body hair patterns
• Height loss, decreased bone density, fragility fractures
• Hot flashes or sweats
• Mild anemia (normochromic, normocytic)
• Sleep disturbance, increased sleepiness, sleep apnea
PHYSICAL EXAM
• Breast tenderness or gynecomastia
• Eunuchoid proportions (arm span ≥2 inches greater than height; lower
segment [floor to pubis] ≥2 inches greater than upper body segment
[pubis to crown])
• Hair patterns: decreased facial/axillary/chest/pubic hair, female
(triangular) escutcheon
• Increased body and visceral fat
• Acne
• GU exam: penis length, urethra for hypospadia, prostate exam for
small/atrophied prostate (can be obscured by benign prostatic
hyperplasia [BPH])
• Scrotal exam for testicular descent, consistency, and size (<4 × 2 cm
or <20 mL), varicocele
• Musculoskeletal development, strength, muscle atrophy, bone
deformity/fractures
ASSAYS/TESTS
• Total testosterone: liquid chromatography with tandem mass spec-
trometry (preferred), radioimmunoassay (RIA), platform immunoassays
(more variable)
• Direct analogue free testosterone: not valid
• Total testosterone/sex hormone–binding globulin (SHBG) ratio: not
very reliable
• Free testosterone: equilibrium dialysis (gold standard); calculated free
T (need total + SHBG)
• Bioavailable testosterone: NH4SO4 precipitation of T-SHBG; calculated
bioavailable T (need total T, SHBG, albumin)
• SHBG: varies in different conditions; 40−50% of testosterone is bound
to SHBG; changes in SHBG will affect the total testosterone level, but
will not affect the free or bioavailable testosterone level
DIAGNOSIS
• Requires signs/symptoms + low total testosterone level
° Normal and low testosterone levels should be defined for each
assay. There is an ongoing effort by the US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) to harmonize testosterone assays to
the same standard, which should help to harmonize normal ranges.
The International Society of Andrology defines low testosterone
as levels <231 ng/dL and borderline levels 231–346 ng/dL. The
Endocrine Society uses <300 ng/dL
REFERENCES
Araujo AB, Esche GR, Kupelian V, et al. Prevalence of symptomatic androgen
deficiency in men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2007;92(11):4241–7.
Bhasin S, Cunningham GR, Hayes FJ, et al. Testosterone Therapy in Men
with Androgen Deficiency Syndromes: Endocrine Society Clinical Practice
Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2010;95:2536–59.
Guay AT, Spark RF, Bansal S, et al. American Association of Clinical
Endocrinologists medical guidelines for clinical practice for the evaluation
and treatment of male sexual dysfunction: a couple’s problem—2003
update. Endocr Pract, 2003;9(1):77–95.
Wang C, Nieschlag E, Swerdloff R, et al. Investigation, treatment and moni-
toring of late-onset hypogonadism in males: ISA, ISSAM, EAU, EAA, and
ASA recommendations. Eur J Endocrinol, 2008;159(5):507–14.
Wu FCW, Tajar A, Beynon JM. Identification of Late-Onset Hypogonadism in
Middle-Aged and Elderly Men. N Engl J Med, 2010;363:123–35.
DEFINITION OF INFERTILITY
• Failure to conceive after 1 year of frequent intercourse without
contraception
■ Chemotherapy
■ Pelvic irradiation
■ Trauma
■ Klinefelter’s syndrome
■ Testicular cancer
■ Large varicoceles
■ Autoimmune
■ Thyroid dysfunction
• Untreated hyperthyroidism
• Untreated hypothyroidism
■ Obesity
■ Cushing’s syndrome
• Lack of libido
• Relationship dysfunction
■ Anorgasmia (sometimes associated with anejaculation) due
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• History
° Sexual history
■ Normal libido? Normal erections? Cloudy postcoital urine
sperm production)
■ History of chemotherapy
• Physical examination
° Height, weight, body mass index (BMI)
° Skin examination for evidence of corticosteroid excess (broad
purple striae, ecchymoses)
° Thyroid exam for goiter
° Breast exam for gynecomastia, galactorrhea
° large varicocele,
Genitourinary exam for evidence of hypospadias, penile fibroses,
small testes (<15 cc or <3.5 cm in longest axis),
testicular mass, palpable vas deferens (if not palpable, consider
forme fruste of cystic fibrosis)
° Neurologic
anesthesia
examination for signs of autonomic neuropathy, saddle
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• Blood tests
° Serum total and calculated free testosterone, LH, and FSH from a
fasting early morning blood sample
° LH), then patientis has
If testosterone low and LH and FSH are both high (FSH >
primary testicular dysfunction (primary
hypogonadism)
° then patient has hypothalamopituitary
If testosterone is low and LH and FSH are both normal or low,
disease (secondary
hypogonadism)
° Iflikely
testosterone and LH are both normal but FSH is high, then patient
has an isolated defect in testicular sperm production
° Serum TSH
Serum if clinical evidence of thyroid dysfunction
° FSH arePRL and iron saturation if testosterone is low and LH and
both normal or low
° Serum karyotyping if patient has small testes and primary
hypogonadism
° Sperm autoantibodies: consider if history of trauma, torsion, or uni-
lateral orchidectomy, or if clumps of sperm on seminal fluid analysis
° Gene mutation testing for cystic fibrosis if patient does not have
palpable vas deferens and seminal fluid suggestive of obstruction
° Testing for Y chromosome microdeletion if patient has normal serum
testosterone and LH, but sperm concentration 0−10 million/ml
• Seminal fluid analysis
° At least two seminal fluid analyses obtained after abstention from
ejaculation for at least 48 hours
° ■ If ≤1.5fluid
Seminal volume should exceed 1.5 ml
cc (many experts use ≤2.0 ml), then it is either an incom-
plete collection (spilled) or a sign of obstruction
■ Other signs of obstruction: pH <7.2, absence of fructose
° There should
Sperm concentration should exceed 15 million/ml
° be few white blood cells (<1 million/ml) in seminal fluid
DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING
• Scrotal ultrasound if scrotal or testicular mass or large varicocele
• Transrectal ultrasound if seminal fluid analysis suggests obstruction
or if significant number of white blood cells repeatedly in seminal fluid
• Sellar imaging if patient has biochemical evidence of secondary
hypogonadism
microsurgery
° Ejaculatory dysfunction
■ α agonist for retrograde ejaculation
recommended
° Hyperprolactinemia
■ DA agonists
■ Gonadotropin therapy
° ■ See Section
Thyroid dysfunction
II, Thyroid
° Obesity
■ Weight loss via lifestyle or bariatric surgery
° Cushing’s syndrome
■ See Chapter 12, Cushing’s Syndrome
REFERENCES
Bhasin S. Approach to the infertile man. J Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2007;92(6):1995−2004.
Jungwirth A, Giwercman A, Tournaye H, et al. European Association
of Urology guidelines on Male Infertility: the 2012 update. Eur Urol,
2012;62(2):324−32.
McLachlan RI, O’Bryan MK. Clinical Review: state of the art for genetic test-
ing of infertile men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2010;95(3):1013−24.
Patel ZP, Niederberger CS. Male factor assessment in infertility. Med Clin
North Am, 2011;95(1):223−34.
PUBERTY
• Menarche: age of first menses; usually occurs at age 11−15
° It may take up to two years for an adolescent to have regular menses
• Preceded by
° Thelarche: start of breast development, occurs at age 8−13
° Pubarche/adrenarche: start of axillary and pubic hair growth and
sweat gland maturation, begins between the ages of 8 and 10
° Growth spurt begins between 10 and 14 years of age
• FSH
° Glycoprotein secreted from anterior pituitary in pulsatile fashion
° Levels vary by age and time in cycle
° follicular phase of cycle
Secreted in greater amounts when estrogen levels are lower in the
° Prepares
tion occurs
the uterine lining for implantation of an embryo if concep-
° 80% boundbetoused
Levels can to assess if ovulation has occurred
° other binding globulins
albumin, 2% free; remainder bound to SHBG and
• Androgens
° Androgens (androstenedione, DHEA and testosterone) are produced
in varying amounts by the ovary in response to LH and FSH by the
theca cells
° The granulosa cells of the ovary aromatize androgens to produce
estradiol
° Androgens are also produced by the adrenal gland
TABLE 38.1 The Menstrual Cycle
Menses/Follicular
Phase Ovulation Luteal Phase
Pituitary Hormones FSH stimulates LH surge at day Low levels of FSH
follicular 14 in response and LH due to
development to increasing suppression by
and estrogen estrogen levels progesterone
production;
positive feedback
of estrogen
stimulates LH
production
Ovarian Estrogen slowly Estrogen is at Progesterone
Hormones increases and its peak and starts to peak
progesterone progesterone 4 days after
remains low during begins to rise ovulation; if there
the follicular is no fertilization,
phase progesterone
levels begin to
recede, resulting
in beginning of
the next cycle;
estrogen levels
slowly return to
baseline
Ovary Follicle development Mature oocyte is Follicle converts
begins with a rise released from to corpus luteum
in FSH. By the follicle in response and produces
fourth day of cycle, to the LH surge progesterone
estrogen levels
increase. Follicles
continue to mature
until one is singled
out to be the
dominant follicle
and others become
atretic.
(continues)
MENOPAUSE
• Menopause: average age of occurrence is 51; defined as 1 year without
menses
• Perimenopause usually begins sometime between ages 39 and 51, a
time during which menstrual cycles may be less predictable
° During this time, gynecological evaluation is recommended if
periods last >7 days in length, if periods are more frequent than
every 21 days, if there is bleeding between periods, or if the
bleeding becomes significantly heavier
(continues)
FIGURE 38.1 Menstrual Cycle diagram
REFERENCES
American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Precis. Precis: An Update in
Obstetrics and Gynecology: Reproductive Endocrinology. 3rd ed. Washington,
DC: American College of Obstetricians; 2007.
Droegmueller W; Herbst A; Mishell D; Stenchever M., Comprehensive
Gynecology, 1st edition. Philadelphia, PA: Mosby; 1987: 3–242.
Emans SJ, Goldstein D, Laufer M. Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. 5th ed.
Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2005: 120–155.
Fritz MA, Speroff L. Clinical Gynecology Endocrinology and Infertility. 8th ed.
Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2011:105–120;199–242.
BACKGROUND
• Heterogeneous syndrome involving ovarian abnormality, disturbance
to the menstrual cycle, infrequent or absent ovulation, hyperandrogen-
ism, and metabolic disturbances
• Most common endocrine disorder of women in reproductive age group
• Affects 6−8% of Caucasian women; more prevalent in Asian
population
DEFINITIONS
• There are two different but overlapping criteria for PCOS (the NIH and
the Rotterdam criteria) in wide use
• NIH criteria
° Menstrual irregularity due to oligo- or anovulation
° Evidence of hyperandrogenism, whether clinical (hirsutism, acne,
or male-pattern balding) or biochemical (high-serum androgen
concentrations)
° Exclusion of other causes of hyperandrogenism and menstrual
irregularity, such as CAH, androgen-secreting tumors, and
hyperprolactinemia
• Revised Rotterdam 2003 criteria
° Two of the following three criteria must be fulfilled for a diagnosis
of PCOS
■ A clinical diagnosis of oligomenorrhoea or amenorrhoea:
° syndrome must
Late-onset CAH, androgen-secreting tumors, and Cushing’s
be excluded in women with raised androgens;
thyroid disorders and raised PRL should be excluded in women with
menstrual disturbances
SYMPTOMS
• Age of onset usually around the time of menarche
• Variable progression: many will later have normal ovulatory cycle,
whereas others will develop menstrual cycle irregularities and hyper-
androgenism in adulthood
• Hyperandrogenism
° Acne, oily skin, hirsutism, male pattern alopecia
• Menstrual abnormalities
° Irregular, scant, or infrequent periods, often starting at menarche
° Amenorrhea
° Up to 25% of patients with PCOS (by Rotterdam criteria) have
regular periods
• Infertility or subfertility
• Obesity is common, but many women with PCOS are of normal weight
SIGNS
• Hirsutism: if present assess pattern and severity of hair growth
• Acne or oily skin
• Male pattern alopecia
• Acanthosis nigricans (brown pigmentation on neck, axillae, submam-
mary area, subpanniculus, perineum)
• Signs of virilization (e.g., deep voice, reduced breast size, increased
muscle bulk, clitoral hypertrophy) rarely seen in PCOS; if present,
exclude androgen-producing ovarian or adrenal tumor
INVESTIGATIONS
• Samples should be taken between days 1 and 5 of the menstrual cycle
if woman has a regular cycle; with amenorrhoea, testing will need to
be random
• Recommended for all patients
° Pregnancy test
° Assessment of testosterone status
■ Total testosterone
° Prolactinfunction tests
Thyroid
°
• If there is clinical evidence of virilization and total testosterone
≥150 ng/dL (≥5 nmol/L)
° 17-OHP to exclude CAH (especially if a high index of suspicion in
specific groups such as Ashkenazi Jews)
° DHEA-S: may be normal or slightly elevated in PCOS; values
≥800 μg/dL (≥21.7 μmol/L) warrant consideration of an adrenal tumor
° Exclude androgen-secreting tumors
IMAGING
• Ovarian ultrasound not necessary to diagnose PCOS by NIH criteria
• Transvaginal ultrasound of ovaries preferred imaging modality
(when using Rotterdam criteria)
• Characteristics of polycystic ovaries
° A■ polycystic ovary has at least one of the following:
12 or more follicles in each ovary, each follicle measuring
2−9 mm in diameter
■ Ovarian volume >10 ml
type 2 diabetes
■ Lower androgen levels and raise levels of SHBG hormone, which
° Consider Orlistat
° Consider metformin if concomitant diabetes or prediabetes
° Consider bariatric surgery in morbidly obese women with PCOS
° Antiandrogen
■ Spironolactone
options
■ Cyproterone acetate (a synthetic progestin with antiandrogenic
REFERENCES
Ledger WL, Atkin SL, Cho LW. Long term consequences of polycystic ovary
syndrome. RCOG, 2007;33:11
Martin KA, Chang RJ, Ehrmann DA, et al. Evaluation and treatment of
hirsutism in premenopausal women: an endocrine society clinical practice
guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2008;93(4):1105−20.
Mason H, Colao A, Blume-Peytavi U, et al. Polycystic ovary syndrome
(PCOS) trilogy: a translational and clinical review. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf),
2008;69(6):831−44.
Morin-Papunen L, Rantala AS, Unkila-Kallio L, et al. Metformin improves
pregnancy and live-birth rates in women with polycystic ovary syndrome
(PCOS): a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2012;97(5):1492−500.
Sathyapalan T, Atkin SL. Recent advances in cardiovascular aspects of
polycystic ovary syndrome. Eur J Endocrinol, 2012;166(4):575−83.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Hirsutism: excessive terminal hair in a male-pattern distribution.
• Differential diagnosis for excess androgen production
° CAH (See Chapter 24, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia)
° Nonclassic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (NCCAH)
■ Present in <5% of hyperandrogenic women
° ■ Hirsutism
Idiopathic hirsutism
associated with normal ovulation and androgen levels
■ Accounts for 4−7% of all hirsutism cases
° Idiopathic hyperandrogenemia
■ Presents as hirsutism with normal menses, normal ovaries on
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Hirsutism is a clinical diagnosis
• Physical exam
° Hirsutism must be differentiated from hypertrichosis
■ Hypertrichosis is not due to excess androgen; it is characterized
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• Laboratory testing for elevated androgens in the following patients
° Moderate or severe hirsutism
° Any level of hirsutism associated with
■ Menstrual irregularity or infertility
■ Rapid progression
■ Clitoromegaly
■ Male-pattern balding
■ deepening of voice
■ Acne
MANAGEMENT
• Weight reduction
° Obesity increases serum androgen levels in women and therefore over-
weight or obese patients should be strongly encouraged to lose weight
• Pharmacological therapy (recommend 6-month trial so hair follicles can
go through 1 average life cycle prior to changing dose or medication, or
adding medication)
° Oral contraceptives: contain synthetic estrogen in the form of
ethinyl estradiol combined with progestin
■ OCPs reduce hyperandrogenism in several ways
therapy
■ These agents have teratogenic potential (i.e., fetal male pseudo-
production
■ Limitations
• Cosmetic therapies
° Bleach: usually contains hydrogen peroxide and sulfates; side
effects include irritation, pruritus, and possible skin discoloration
° ■ Depilation:
Direct hair removal techniques
removes hair shaft from skin surface
• Shaving does not affect hair regrowth or diameter, but blunt
tip may cause hair to appear thicker
• Chemical depilation: most contain sulfur and thioglycolates to
disrupt disulfide bonds; may cause irritant dermatitis
■ Epilation: extracts hair to above the bulb
• Plucking/waxing
• Electrolysis: electrical current destroys hair follicle with a
heat or chemical
• Laser/photoepilation: hair is damaged by wavelengths of light
REFERENCES
Azziz R, Sanchez LA, Knochenhauer ES, et al. Androgen excess in women:
experience with over 1000 consecutive patients. J Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2004;89(2):453−62.
Bode D, Seehusen DA, Baird D. Hirsutism in women. Am Fam Physician,
2012;85(4):373−80.
Escobar-Morreale HF, Carmina E, Dewailly D, et al. Epidemiology, diagnosis
and management of hirsutism: a consensus statement by the Androgen
Excess and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Society. Hum Reprod Update,
2012;18(2):146−70.
Franks S. The investigation and management of hirsutism. J Fam Plann
Reprod Health Care, 2012;38(3):182−6.
Martin KA, Chang RJ, Ehrmann DA, et al. Evaluation and treatment of
hirsutism in premenopausal women: an endocrine society clinical practice
guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2008;93(4):1105−20.
Rosenfield RL. Clinical practice. Hirsutism. N Engl J Med, 2005;353(24):
2578−88.
Unluhizarci K, Kaltsas G, Kelestimur F. Non polycystic ovary syndrome-
related endocrine disorders associated with hirsutism. Eur J Clin Invest,
2012;42(1):86−94.
DEFINITION
• Overt POI: FSH levels in the menopausal range on two occasions, at
least one month apart, and in association with 4 months of disordered
menses in a woman under the age of 40
• In fact, this condition is a continuum of impaired ovarian function to
include occult POI. This category includes women who have regular
menses but evidence of impaired ovarian function as determined by:
(1) low response to gonadotropin stimulation as part of infertility
therapy; or (2) elevated menstrual cycle day 3 serum FSH levels
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• May be a result of chemotherapy or radiation
• May be due to follicle depletion or follicle dysfunction
• 90% of spontaneous cases are idiopathic
° ~4% due to steroidogenic cell autoimmunity
° ~6% due to a premutation in the FMR1 gene
° ~Rarely
2% are due to an X-chromosomal abnormality
° LH-receptor
due to a single gene defect such as FSH-receptor mutation,
mutation, G-protein mutation
° syndrome, type
Rarely may be part of a syndrome such as autoimmune polyendocrine
1 (APS-1); CAH due to 17-α-hydroxylase deficiency;
galactosemia; aromatase deficiency; Fanconi anemia; and others
° Rarely due to industrial exposure such as to 2-bromopropane
• In spontaneous cases 75% of women have ovarian follicles remaining
in the ovary
• Characteristically, spontaneous cases exhibit intermittent and unpre-
dictable ovarian function that may persist for decades
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• History
° What factors might have induced secondary amenorrhea? Is the
patient pregnant? Has there been a decline in general health as a
result of chronic illness? Is there excessive exercise, inadequate
caloric intake, or emotional stress? Has there been prior radiation
or chemotherapy?
■ It is inappropriate to attribute oligo-/amenorrhea to stress
°
The four most common causes of secondary amenorrhea (aside
from pregnancy) are PCOS, hypothalamic amenorrhea, hyperprolac-
tinemia, and POI
° In■ POI
Menses may stop abruptly or fail to resume after a normal
pregnancy or after stopping oral contraceptives; however,
most commonly there is a prodrome of oligomenorrhea,
polymenorrhea, or dysfunctional uterine bleeding
■ Symptoms of estrogen defi ciency such as vasomotor instability
roidism and AI
■ Query regarding family history of fragile X syndrome, intellectual
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• Laboratory testing
° Rule out pregnancy
° In the evaluation of secondary amenorrhea, measure serum PRL,
FSH, and TSH levels
° In cases of amenorrhea caused by stress (i.e., hypothalamic amen-
orrhea), the serum FSH is in the low or normal range
° laboratory,
If the FSH is in the menopausal range, as defined by the reporting
the test should be repeated in 1 month along with a
serum estradiol measurement
° Use of the progestin challenge test is not recommended: nearly
50% of women with POI have withdrawal bleeding in response to
the test despite the presence of menopausal-level gonadotropins;
relying on this method delays diagnosis
° Two serum FSH levels in the menopausal range (at least one month
apart) associated with four months of disordered menses confirm
the diagnosis of POI
warranted
■ Karyotype analysis to detect Turner syndrome
• Imaging
° Pelvic ultrasound is indicated at the time of diagnosis in all women
with overt POI to identify cases involving enlarged, multifollicular
ovaries
■ These may be seen in isolated 17,20-lyase defi ciency or autoim-
MANAGEMENT
• The diagnosis of POI has profound effects on a woman’s sense of
well-being: there are emotional and physical sequelae, and both must
be addressed with vigor
• Many women report severe emotional distress upon hearing the
diagnosis: inform with sensitivity in person, face to face, and in an
unhurried comfortable setting; informing by telephone, voice mail, or
email is inappropriate
• Associated conditions may develop such as generalized anxiety dis-
order, major depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Shyness,
social anxiety, impaired self esteem, and perceived low level of social
support are more common than in controls
• Help patients identify sources of emotional support and refer them for
guidance on how to cope with the emotional sequelae
° Creating a family
■ No proven markers to define increased rate of remission
indicated
■ Spontaneous remission resulting in pregnancy occurs in 5−10%
consider their options. Many couples are relieved to have the cli-
nician remove urgency from the situation by suggesting a plan to
attempt conception as detailed previously for three years while
they make other plans if this does not result in a pregnancy.
■ Some couples will decide to nurture other dreams rather
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program on
Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD
REFERENCES
Nelson LM. Clinical practice. Primary ovarian insufficiency. N Engl J Med,
2009;360(6):606−14.
Sterling EW, Nelson LM. From victim to survivor to thriver: helping women
with primary ovarian insufficiency integrate recovery, self-management,
and wellness. Semin Reprod Med, 2011;29(4):353−61.
Wittenberger MD, Hagerman RJ, Sherman SL, et al. The FMR1 premutation
and reproduction. Fertil Steril, 2007;87(3):456−65.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Infertility is defined as the failure to conceive after ≥1 year of regular,
unprotected intercourse (10−15% of healthy young couples will
experience infertility)
• Causes of infertility
° Ovulatory dysfunction (20−40%)
■ Oligomenorrhea (>35-day intervals between periods) or amenor-
• Endometriosis
° Male factors (30−40%)
■ Genital anomalies, trauma, surgical trauma, sexual dysfunction,
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Evaluation can be initiated after the definition for infertility has
been met
• Earlier evaluation is warranted for
° Women >35 years old who have not conceived after 6 months of
regular unprotected intercourse
° Women with oligomenorrhea
Women with or amenorrhea
° Men with knownhistory of pelvic infection or endometriosis
° or suspected subfertility
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• General health should be optimized prior to conception. Assess for
° Medical conditions
° Teratogenic medications
° Caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, illicit drug use
° Family history of birth defects or mental retardation
° Obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m )
2
• Infertility evaluation
° Ovulatory dysfunction
■ Assess for signs and symptoms of thyroid disease, hyperprolac-
MANAGEMENT
• Preconception counseling
° Optimize the management of medical disorders
° Transition to medications that are safe in pregnancy
° tobacco, alcohol,
Limit caffeine intake (~two 8-ounce cups of coffee) and discontinue
and illicit drug use
° Genetic counseling if family history of birth defects or mental
retardation
° Weight loss to achieve BMI between 20 and 25 kg/m
2
• Treatment of infertility
° Ovulatory dysfunction
■ Treat thyroid dysfunction and hyperprolactinemia
PCOS
■ Ovulation induction
• Clomiphene citrate
■ 80% will ovulate, cycle fecundity (i.e., probability of
° Unexplained infertility
■ Superovulation (i.e., ovulating multiple oocytes in a single cycle)
infertility
■ Women with DOR may have lower pregnancy rates with super-
REFERENCES
Committee on Gynecologic Practice of American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists; Practice Committee of American Society for Reproductive
Medicine. Age-related fertility decline: a committee opinion. Fertil Steril,
2008;90(Suppl 5):S154−5.
Cooper TG, Noonan E, von Eckardstein S, et al. World Health Organization
reference values for human semen characteristics. Hum Reprod Update,
2010;16(3):231−45.
• The second most common islet cell type, the α cell, secretes the pep-
tide hormone glucagon.; insulin and glucagon have generally opposing
actions in the regulation of body fuel metabolism
° Glucagon secretion from a cell is suppressed by glucose. Glucagon
actions occur mostly in the liver and include
■ Breakdown of glycogen and release of glucose from the liver to
and gluconeogenesis
■ Conversion of glucose and absorbed FFAs to triglyceride stores
• Incretins are peptide hormones secreted into the blood stream from
the intestine in response to glucose and nutrient ingestion with
important effects on body fuel metabolism
° Incretins account for a greater insulin secretory response to oral
than IV glucose (designated the “incretin effect”)
° gastric inhibitory
The two major incretins are glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and
peptide (GIP)
° Incretin actions include
■ Stimulation of β-cell glucose-dependent insulin secretion and
insulin biosynthesis
■ Inhibition of α-cell glucagon secretion
degradation)
• Other hormones with important roles in body fuel homeostasis include
glucocorticoids, catecholamines, and GH
° Each of these hormones has individualized actions with distinct
pathological consequences when deficient or present in excess
° As a group, together with glucagon, they are designated “insulin
counter-regulatory hormones,” since a part of their actions directly
or indirectly inhibits the actions of insulin
° In some patients, excess of one or more of these counter-regulatory
hormones (e.g., as part of a stress response with severe illness,
or as a result of a hormone-secreting tumor) can result in a state
of “relative insulin deficiency” and lead to the development of
diabetes mellitus. In uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, it therefore is
important to identify clinical conditions that may be contributing by
increasing counter-regulatory hormone levels. These include
■ Sources of infection or stress (e.g., silent myocardial infarc-
of another disorder
• Counterposed to the role of insulin in regulating body fuel homeosta-
sis, excess nutrient intake is of major clinical importance in causing
insulin deficiency and diabetes
° This is thought to result from both insulin resistance secondary to
obesity, and a loss of insulin-secreting pancreatic β cells possibly
caused by the demand for excess insulin secretion or a pancreatic
islet inflammatory process precipitated by obesity
° The role of obesity is most evident in type 2 diabetes, with obesity
present in more than 80% of patients prior to the development of
diabetes
° Obesity can also accelerate the time of presentation of incipient
type 1 diabetes, or result in the development of combined types
1 and 2 diabetes in some individuals
° Since the amount of insulin required for metabolic control relates
to the quantity of ingested glucose and other nutrients in addition
to the overall sensitivity to insulin, reducing calorie intake can have
benefit in the correction of hyperglycemia in obese individuals even
before there has been significant change in the degree of obesity
REFERENCES
American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes—
2012. Diabetes Care, 2012;35(Suppl 1):S11−63.
Ferrannini E. Physiology of glucose homeostasis and insulin therapy in type 1
and type 2 diabetes. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am, 2012;41(1):25−39.
Phillips LK, Prins JB. Update on incretin hormones. Ann NY Acad Sci,
2011;1243:E55−74.
BACKGROUND
• Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex multiorgan system process, with
defects in pancreatic insulin secretion, central and peripheral insulin
action, and glucose utilization and production
° Infl ammation has now been recognized as an underlying patho-
physiologic process
° organs, including
Chronic hyperglycemia is associated with damage to various end
the eyes, kidneys, nerves, blood vessels, and heart
• Diagnosing type 1 versus type 2 versus other forms of DM is important
for optimal care
° However, this distinction is not always possible
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF TYPE 1 DM
• Fundamentally an immune-mediated process: T-cell mediated autoimmune
destruction of pancreatic β cells leads to an absolute insulin deficiency
• Patients must receive exogenous insulin therapy
• Accounts for only 5−10% of those with DM
• Autoantibodies can be detected in as many as 85−90% of these
patients
° Islet cell autoantibodies, autoantibodies to insulin, autoantibodies
to GAD (GAD65), and autoantibodies to the tyrosine phosphatases
IA-2 and IA-2β
• Patients may have additional autoimmune disorders
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF TYPE 2 DM
• Multifactorial, including both defects in insulin action and insulin
secretion
° Resistance to insulin action is generally present, but failure of the
β cell to compensate causes hyperglycemia
• Gestational DM
° Glucose intolerance first recognized in pregnancy
° Diagnosis of gestational DM is made from an OGTT performed at 24−28
weeks gestation in women not previously diagnosed with overt DM
■ High-risk women found to have DM at the initial prenatal visit
° Causes
ADA targets A1c levels <7% as the goal for most patients with DM
° sion, anemia,
of inaccurate A1cs: abnormal hemoglobin, blood transfu-
early pregnancy, splenectomy
• C-peptide
° insulin moleculeprecursor
Proinsulin, the molecule to insulin, consists of the future
and a 31-amino acid polypeptide known as C-peptide
° Thus, C-peptide reflects endogenous insulin production
° Should be measured either 1 hour after a 75-gm carbohydrate load
or when glucose is at least 150 mg/dL
° In patients with type 2 DM, it may be useful to see whether detect-
able C-peptide levels are present to evaluate whether there is a role
for oral agent therapy
° C-peptide measurement may be required by an insurance company
for coverage of insulin pump therapy initiation
• Antibody testing
° Various antibodies associated with autoimmune forms of diabetes:
islet cell autoantibodies, autoantibodies to insulin, autoantibodies
to GAD (GAD65), and autoantibodies to the tyrosine phosphatases
IA-2 and IA-2β
° Not always present in type 1 diabetes and no data to support rou-
tine use, though elevated levels are consistent with an autoimmune
etiology (type 1 DM or LADA)
° ADA states that testing for islet cell autoantibodies may be
appropriate in high-risk cases: those with transient hyperglycemia,
relatives with type 1 DM, or enrolled in clinical research studies
Lispro (Humalog),
Aspart (Novolog), GlargineDetemir
Insulin Type Glulisine (Apidra) Regular NPH (Lantus)(Levemir)
Onset 15–30 min 30 min 1–2 hours 1–2 hours
~1 hour
Time to Peak 1–2 hours 2–4 hours 4–10 hours No peak No/little
peak
Duration 3–5 hours 4–8 hours 12–20 hours ~24 hours Up to
24 hours
Administration ≤15 min before, 30–60 min 30–60 min Without Without
or right after before before regard regard to
meals meals meals or to meals meals
at bedtime
48565_ST06_251-352.indd 262
Glipizide (Glucotrol), Sulfonylurea Oral Hypoglycemia Type 1 diabetes, DKA 1–2%
glimepiride (Amaryl),
glyburide (Diaβeta, Glynase
Diabetes Mellitus
PresTabs, Micronase)
Metformin (Glucophage, Biguanide Oral GI (N/V, diarrhea, abdominal Type 1 diabetes, DKA, Cr >1.5 in men, 1.5–2%
Glucophage XR) pain), Vitamin B12 Cr >1.4 in women, acute or chronic
deficiency metabolic acidosis
Pioglitazone (Actos*), Thiazolidinedione Oral Edema, weight gain, bone Type 1 diabetes, DKA, symptomatic CHF 1.5%
rosiglitazone (Avandia†) fractures
Repaglinide (Prandin), Meglitinide Oral Hypoglycemia Type 1 diabetes, DKA 0.5–1%
nateglinide (Starlix)
Acarbose (Precose), Alpha- Oral GI (flatulence, diarrhea, Type 1 diabetes, DKA, hepatic cirrhosis, 0.5–1%
miglitol (Glyset) glucosidase abdominal discomfort) chronic intestinal diseases
inhibitor
Sitagliptin (Januvia), DPP-4 inhibitor Oral Hypersensitivity Type 1 diabetes, DKA, pancreatitis, 0.5–1%
saxagliptin (Onglyza), hypersensitivity
linagliptin (Tradjenta)
Liraglutide (Victoza) GLP-1 mimetic SQ GI pancreatitis (rare) Type 1 diabetes, DKA, personal or 1–2%
family history of MTC or MEN2,
pancreatitis
5/1/13 9:32 PM
Exenatide (Byetta) GLP-1 mimetic SQ GI pancreatitis (rare) Type 1 diabetes, DKA, pancreatitis 1–2%
Exenatide extended-release Long-acting SQ GI pancreatitis (rare) Type 1 diabetes, DKA, personal or 1–2%
(Bydureon) GLP-1 mimetic family history of MTC or MEN2,
48565_ST06_251-352.indd 263
(once weekly) pancreatitis
Pramlintide (Symlin) Amylin mimetic SQ GI, headache Confirmed gastroparesis, hypoglycemic 0.5–1%
unawareness
Bromocriptine mesylate Dopamine Oral GI, orthostatic hypotension, Type 1 diabetes, DKA, syncopal 0.5%
(Cycloset) receptor agonist somnolence, psychosis, migraines, lactating women
dizziness
Colesevelam (Welchol) Bile acid Oral Constipation, Type 1 diabetes, DKA, history of bowel 0.5%
sequestrant hypertriglyceridemia, obstruction, hypertriglyceridemia,
absorption of medicines pancreatitis
DPP-4 = Dipeptidyl peptidase-4
* Pioglitazone (Actos): possible association with bladder cancer.
† Rosiglitazone (Avandia): use highly restricted, as may increase risk of MI.
Pharmaceutical Options for Diabetes Management
263
5/1/13 9:32 PM
264 Diabetes Mellitus
using regular insulin TID with meals and NPH Insulin at bedtime
can still be considered
° Total daily dose (TDD): in type 1, the TDD can be estimated at
0.3–0.5 units/kg/day
■ Type 1 DM patients are often insulin sensitive; it is reasonable to
REFERENCES
American Diabetes Association. Diagnosis and classification of diabetes
mellitus. Diabetes Care, 2012;35:Suppl:1:S64−71.
American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes—2012.
Diabetes Care, 2012;35(Suppl 1):S11−63.
Inzucchi SE, Bergenstal RM, Buse JB, et al. Management of hyperglycemia in
type 2 diabetes: a patient-centered approach: position statement of the
American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for
the Study of Diabetes (EASD). Diabetes Care, 2012;35(6):1364−79.
Pearce SH, Merriman TR. Genetics of type 1 diabetes and autoimmune
thyroid disease. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am, 2009;38(2):289−301.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Heterogeneous group of disorders causing diabetes due to single gene
defects in pancreatic β cell causing insulin secretory deficits
• Now subtyped according to gene involved but old nomenclature persists
• Autosomal dominant genetic transmission with variable penetrance
and expression
• Represents 2−5% of all cases of diabetes although exact prevalence
unknown and may be misdiagnosed as type 2 diabetes or antibody-
negative type 1 diabetes
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Young age of onset (<25 years of age)
° Usually nonobese individuals without signs of insulin resistance
(e.g., no acanthosis nigricans)
° Slow disease progression
° Low insulin requirements
• Family history of diabetes over 2 generations consistent with autoso-
mal dominant inheritance is mandatory for diagnosis
• Subtype determines presentation
° MODY 2 (GCK subtype)
■ Lifelong mild hyperglycemia
° ■ Normoglycemia
Other forms of MODY
early in childhood and adolescence
■ Overt diabetes symptoms of polyuria and polydipsia
■ Progressive hyperglycemia
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• Patients who do not fulfill classic criteria for either type 1 or type 2
diabetes should be screened (see previous section)
• Serum glucose +/− A1C levels in the diabetic range (although gluco-
kinase [GCK] mutations may only have impaired glucose levels)
• Some have disproportionate glycosuria (MODY 1 or hepatocyte nuclear
factor 1α [HNF-1α] subtype)
• Genetic testing is commercially available for the most common subtypes
MANAGEMENT
• Correctly diagnosing MODY (rather than type 1 or type 2 diabetes) has
a significant impact on treatment options and monitoring
• Treatment is geared towards improving hyperglycemia
° MODY 1 and 3
■ Sulfonylurea can be considered in MODY 1 and 3
REFERENCES
Giuffrida FM, Reis AF. Genetic and clinical characteristics of maturity-onset
diabetes of the young. Diabetes Obes Metab, 2005;7(4):318−26.
Nyunt O, Wu JY, McGown IN, et al. Investigating maturity onset diabetes of
the young. Clin Biochem Rev, 2009;30(2):67−74.
Rubio-Cabezas O, Edghill EL, Argente J, Hattersley AT. Testing for monogenic
diabetes among children and adolescents with antibody-negative clini-
cally defined Type 1 diabetes. Diabet Med, 2009;26(10):1070−4.
Steck AK, Winter WE. Review on monogenic diabetes. Curr Opin Endocrinol
Diabetes Obes, 2011;18(4):252−8.
Vaxillaire M, Bonnefond A, Froguel P. The lessons of early-onset monogenic
diabetes for the understanding of diabetes pathogenesis. Best Pract Res
Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2012;26(2):171−87.
Vaxillaire M, Froguel P. Monogenic diabetes in the young, pharmacogenetics
and relevance to multifactorial forms of type 2 diabetes. Endocr Rev,
2008;29(3):254−64.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Results from decreased ratio of insulin to counterregulatory hormones
(most importantly glucagon)
° Can result from decreased insulin, increased counterregulatory
hormones, or both
• Development of hyperglycemia
° Decreased glucose uptake by peripheral tissues, increased glycoge-
nolysis, and gluconeogenesis
° Volume depletion leads to impaired glucose excretion
• Development of ketoacidosis
° Increased lipolysis → increased FFA delivered to liver → ketogen-
esis (in setting of significant insulinopenia)
■ β hydroxybutyrate: predominant ketoacid in DKA, can be mea-
EVALUATION
• Initial laboratory studies: glucose, electrolytes, phosphorus, BUN,
creatinine, urinalysis, CBC with differential, ECG, urine for ketones or
serum for β hydroxybutyrate
• Assessment for precipitating factors, especially infection or MI
TABLE 46.2 Common Calculations
Calculations Formula
Anion gap Na+− (Cl−+ HCO3−)
Serum osmolality 2 × [measured Na+] + [glucose (mg/dl)/18] +
[BUN (mg/dl)/2.8]
“Corrected” serum sodium Corrected Na+ = [(serum glucose − 100) × 1.6] +
measured Na+
MANAGEMENT
• Goals
° Goal of management of DKA is correction of the acidosis
° Goal of management of HHS is correction of the hyperosmolar state
and electrolyte imbalances
° Management of DKA or HHS with appropriate fluid, insulin, and
electrolyte replacement will improve the hyperglycemia as well
• IV fluids
° Fluids
pending
can be started while initial laboratory assessment is
° an acute MI,with
Use caution aggressive fluid replacement in patients with CHF,
evidence of volume overload, or anuria
• Phosphate
° Routine use of phosphate replacement not recommended
° Selective replacement suggested in patients with phosphate levels
<1.0 mg/dL, anemia, respiratory failure, or CHF
COMPLICATIONS OF MANAGEMENT
• Hypoglycemia
° Reduce
250 mg/dL
risk by adding dextrose to IV fluids as glucose falls below
• Hypokalemia
° Reduce risk by frequent assessment of potassium level and atten-
tion to potassium repletion
• Hyperchloremic acidosis
° Chloride (Cl−) in saline solution replaces the lost negative charge of
bicarbonate (HCO3−) to help maintain electroneutrality
° Anion gap has improved, but bicarbonate levels remain low
° This benign process resolves gradually in the hours to days after
the saline infusion is reduced or stopped
• Cerebral edema
° Cerebral edema occurs primarily in children, but has been
described in adults
° Etiology is unclear, but cerebral edema is not related to the degree
of hyperosmolality
° Avoid rapid changes in glucose and osmolarity
REFERENCES
DeSantis AJ, Schmeltz LR, Schmidt K, et al. Inpatient management
of hyperglycemia: the Northwestern experience. Endocr Pract,
2006;12(5):491−505.
Kitabchi AE, Umpierrez GE, Fisher JN, Murphy MB, Stentz FB. Thirty years
of personal experience in hyperglycemic crises: diabetic ketoacido-
sis and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state. J Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2008;93(5):1541−52.
Kitabchi AE, Umpierrez GE, Miles JM, Fisher JN. Hyperglycemic crises in adult
patients with diabetes. Diabetes Care, 2009;32(7):1335−43.
O’Malley CW, Emanuele M, Halasyamani L, Amin AN; Society of Hospital
Medicine Glycemic Control Task Force. Bridge over troubled waters: safe
and effective transitions of the inpatient with hyperglycemia. J Hosp Med,
2008;3(Suppl 5):55−65.
Trachtenbarg DE. Diabetic ketoacidosis. Am Fam Physician, 2005;71(9):
1705−14.
Wilson JF, Laine C, Turner BJ, et al. Diabetic ketoacidosis. Ann Int Med, 2010;
152(1):ITC1-16.
DEFINITION
• PG concentration ≤70 mg/dL with or without symptoms
SYMPTOMS OF HYPOGLYCEMIA
• Increased Epi secretion: tremor, palpitations, diaphoresis
• Neuroglycopenic symptoms: confusion, behavior change, seizure, coma
REFERENCES
Amiel SA, Dixon T, Mann R, Jameson K. Hypoglycaemia in type 2 diabetes.
Diabet Med, 2008;25(3):245−54.
Cryer PE, Axelrod L, Grossman AB, et al. Evaluation and management of
adult hypoglycemic disorders: an Endocrine Society Clinical Practice
Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2009;94(3):709−28.
McCrimmon RJ, Sherwin RS. Hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes. Diabetes,
2010;59(10):2333−9.
Workgroup on Hypoglycemia, American Diabetes Association. Defining
and reporting hypoglycemia in diabetes: a report from the American
Diabetes Association Workgroup on Hypoglycemia. Diabetes Care,
2005;28(5):1245−9.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of adult blindness in the
United States
• 95% of type 1 diabetics and 60% of type 2 diabetics will develop
diabetic retinopathy after 20 years of diabetes
° Long-term hyperglycemia causes diabetic retinopathy
° Progression of diabetic retinopathy can be delayed by improving
glycemic control and by reducing A1C; target goal for A1C is <7%
• Diabetic retinopathy can occur in those with impaired glucose
tolerance
• Damage to the retinal vasculature by chronic hyperglycemia is the
underlying cause of diabetic retinopathy
° Proposed mechanisms: sorbitol accumulation, advanced glycation
end products (AGEs), reactive oxygen species
° may play role
Retinal microthrombosis and certain growth factors such as VEGF
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Patients may have no symptoms in the early stages of retinopathy
• With progression, patients may experience poor visual acuity and
blindness
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• Diabetic retinopathy progresses with hyperglycemia; monitor A1C and
target levels <7%
• Comprehensive dilated eye exam necessary
° Nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy ophthalmoscopic features:
retinal hemorrhages, macular edema, hard exudates, microaneu-
rysms, venous beading, and cotton wool spots
° Proliferative diabetic retinopathy ophthalmoscopic features:
preretinal hemorrhages, macular edema, fibrovascular proliferation,
and neovascularization
MANAGEMENT
• BP and blood glucose control is essential for the prevention and
progression of diabetic retinopathy
• Start ophthalmologic evaluation
° At time of diagnosis for patient with type 2 diabetes
° 3−5 yrs after diagnosis of type 1 diabetes
• Follow up interval is based on severity of retinopathy, ranging from 3 to
12 months
• Pregnant women can get worsening of retinopathy as pregnancy
progresses
° Reasons postulated include lower retinal blood flow (due to physi-
ologic systemic lowering of BP in pregnancy) worsening retinal
ischemia/hypoxia
° Pregnant women with type 1 or 2 diabetes should get an eye exam
prior to conception or in the early first trimester
° Follow-up ophthalmologic evaluation every trimester may be necessary
• Treatment
° Mild and moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy is generally
not treated; focal laser photocoagulation can be considered if
macular edema present
° Panretinal photocoagulation can be used in the treatment of severe
nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy; potential side effects include
poor adaptation to dark and reduced peripheral vision/central vision
° Laser photocoagulation can be performed during pregnancy
° Retinal detachment or vitreous hemorrhage may require surgical
intervention
° Future therapeutic directions: antiplatelet agents, protein kinase
C inhibitors, anti-VEGF agents (anti-VEGF agents have shown the
most promise)
REFERENCES
Antonetti DA, Klein R, Gardner TW. Diabetic retinopathy. N Engl J Med,
2012;366(13):1227−39.
Bhavsar AR. Diabetic retinopathy: the latest in current management. Retina,
2006;26(Suppl 6):S71−9.
Mohamed Q, Gillies MC, Wong TY. Management of diabetic retinopathy:
a systematic review. JAMA, 2007;298(8):902−16.
EPIDEMIOLOGY
• Diabetic nephropathy develops in 25–35% of patients with a peak in
incidence around 20 years of diabetes duration
• Rates of diabetic nephropathy are similar in type 1 and type 2 diabetes
• Diabetic nephropathy is the most common cause of ESRD in adults
• Patients with diabetic nephropathy have increased mortality, mainly
due to cardiovascular disease
RISK FACTORS
• Glycemic control, systemic BP, and genetic factors are very important
determinants of diabetic nephropathy risk
• Other factors (smoking, obesity, lipid levels) may modulate this risk
• There is a high concordance in diabetic nephropathy risk among
siblings with diabetes
• Diabetic nephropathy risk is greater in patients with family history of
hypertension and CVD
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Renal lesions in diabetes are mainly related to extracellular matrix
accumulation in the glomerular and tubular basement membranes,
mesangium, and interstitium
• Expansion of the mesangium reduces the glomerular capillary luminal
space, decreasing glomerular filtration surface and GFR
• There is a strong relationship between renal structure and function in
patients with type 1 diabetes
• Progressive tubular atrophy, interstitial fibrosis, renal glomerular
arteriolar hyalinosis, arteriosclerosis, and glomerulosclerosis are also
important components of diabetic nephropathy that may contribute to
the reduction in GFR
• Larger vessel atherosclerosis, especially in type 2 diabetes, may lead
to ischemic renal tissue damage
• Hyperglycemia, AGEs, and increased oxidative stress have all been
associated with diabetic nephropathy
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Didactically, the course of diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetes can
be divided in 5 stages (Table 49.1)
• Patients with type 2 diabetes can have microalbuminuria or proteinuria
at diagnosis, generally attributed to a prior period of undiagnosed
diabetes; GFR decline is also more variable, reflecting the heterogene-
ity of renal lesions in these patients
TABLE 49.1 Stages of Diabetic Nephropathy
Diabetes Duration Stage Manifestations Characteristics
0 to 3−5 years I • Renal hypertrophy • Present at diagnosis
• Increased-to-normal GFR
3−5 to 7 years II • Normal urinary albumin • Common in all
excretion patients with
• Basement membrane diabetes
thickening
• Mesangial expansion
7 to 15−20 years III • Microalbuminuria • 20−45% progression
• Increases in blood to Stage IV in 10 years
pressure levels
• Normal-to-declining GFR
15−20 to 25 years IV • Proteinuria • Increased
• Hypertension cardiovascular
• Decreased GFR mortality
• Dyslipidemia • Progression to ESRD
in 5−15 years
• Associated with other
chronic complications
of diabetes
After 25 years V • ESRD
Adapted from: Caramori ML, Maver M. Pathogenesis and pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy. In:
Greenberg A, ed. Primer on Kidney Diseases, 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2009:214–223.
GFR = glomerular filtration rate; ESRD = end-stage renal disease
DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION
• Diagnosis is based on the presence of increased urinary albumin
excretion (UAE) (Table 49.2) and/or reduced GFR
• Renal biopsies may be necessary for diagnosis in patients with an
atypical clinical course, since, although not common, other nephropa-
thies can be present
MANAGEMENT
• Blood glucose control: primary prevention of diabetic nephropathy is
mainly achieved by intensive blood glucose control (A1c around 7%)
• All patients with overt diabetic nephropathy (proteinuria and/or
reduced GFR) should be treated with ACEIs or ARBs
• BP control: in patients with hypertension, BP control is key
° For most patients, a BP goal of <130/80 is acceptable; however, the
BP target may vary depending on the presence of comorbidities
° Most
goals
patients need multiple antihypertensive agents to reach BP
° frequentlydiuretics,
Thiazide calcium channel blockers, and/or β blockers are
used in combination with an ACEI or ARB
° Although the combination of an ACEI and ARB may further reduce
proteinuria, mortality is increased and, in most instances, these
agents should not be used together
° Patients may have other clinical conditions for which a specific
class of antihypertensive agent is indicated (e.g., ACEIs or ARBs if
proteinuria or elevated creatinine, β blockers following MI)
• Lipid control: control of lipid levels (low-density lipoprotein [LDL]
<100 mg/dL), in association with other measures, is associated with
slower rates of diabetic nephropathy development and progression
• Smoking cessation
• Patients with progressive nephropathy, especially when estimated GFR
is <60 ml/min/1.73m2, should be referred to a nephrologist if there is
concern for the presence of non-diabetic kidney disease
• All patients with estimated GFR <30 ml/min/1.73m2 should be
referred to a nephrologist
REFERENCES
American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in
diabetes—2013. Diabetes Care, 2013;36(Suppl 1):S11−63.
KDOQI Clinical Practice Guidelines and Clinical Practice Recommendations
for Diabetes and Chronic Kidney Disease. Am J Kidney Dis, 2007;49
(2 Suppl 2):S12−154.
US Renal Data System. USRDS 2010 Annual Data Report: Atlas of Chronic
Kidney Disease and End-Stage Renal Disease in the United States.
Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes
and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; 2010. Available at: hwww.usrds.org/
atlas10.aspx.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Hyperglycemia is clearly associated with the development of diabetic
neuropathy
• Proposed mechanisms include
° Formation of AGEs; increased sorbitol production via the aldose
reductase pathway
° Increased activation
Activation of protein kinase C
° Increased oxidative stress
of the hexosamine pathway
°
• Other mechanisms may include: vascular factors such as ischemia and
hypertension, autoimmunity, and defects in nerve fiber repair mechanisms
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Presentation tends to be “glove and stocking” distribution with
feet much more frequently affected than hands; symptoms include
numbness, pain (usually burning and sometimes pronounced at night),
altered sensation, and paresthesias
• Impairment of pain, light touch, and temperature is secondary to
loss of small fibers and tends to appear early even though it may be
asymptomatic and undetected
• Loss of vibratory sensation and altered proprioception reflect large-
fiber loss
• Decreased or absent ankle reflexes may be noted
• In severe cases, muscle weakness may be seen
MANAGEMENT OF DSPN
• All patients with DSPN require comprehensive foot care
• Glycemic control reduces the onset and progression of DSPN
° Rapid improvement of glycemic control may lead to a transient
worsening of neuropathic symptoms
• Pain management
° Antidepressants:
■ Tricyclics
used as first-line agents in most cases
° Others
■ Capsaicin cream 0.075%: a naturally occurring component of
■ Topical lidocaine
REFERENCES
Bril V, England JD, Franklin GM, et al. Evidence-based guideline: treatment
of painful diabetic neuropathy—report of the American Association of
Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine, the American Academy
of Neurology, and the American Academy of Physical Medicine &
Rehabilitation. Muscle Nerve, 2011;43(6):910–7.
Consensus statement: Report and recommendations of the San Antonio con-
ference on diabetic neuropathy. American Diabetes, Association American
Academy of Neurology. Diabetes Care, 1988;11(7):592–7.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
GLYCEMIC CONTROL
• Glycemic control and CVD outcomes: implications of major trials
° UKPDS: in newly diagnosed patients with type 2 DM, sulfonylureas
or insulin therapy showed neutral effect on MI risk as compared to
standard diet therapy; in contrast, metformin reduced MI risk in
overweight patients
° UKPDS 10-year follow-up study: group previously treated more
intensively with sulfonylureas/insulin (A1c ~7%) demonstrated
modestly reduced cardiovascular risk, as compared to standard diet
therapy group (A1c ~8%); metformin’s cardiovascular advantage
persisted as well
° ACCORD, ADVANCE, VADT: in patients with longstanding type 2 DM
and higher cardiovascular risk, there is no apparent cardiovascular
advantage to A1c targets more intensive than ~7% (or slightly
higher); the risks of intensive glycemic control may outweigh
benefits in some patients: advanced age (>70–75 years), long
disease duration (>20 years), established CVD, increased risk of
hypoglycemia
HYPERTENSION MANAGEMENT
• Major risk factor for both CVD and microvascular complications
• Lowering BP with various antihypertensive regimens has been shown
to be effective in reducing cardiovascular events (UKPDS, HOT)
• No benefit in reduction of cardiovascular events with intense BP
control (systolic blood pressure [SBP] <120 mm Hg) compared to SBP
of 130−140 mm Hg in type 2 DM patients at high CVD risk (ACCORD)
• Goals: ADA and 7th Report of the Joint National Committee (JNC)
on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood
Pressure (JNC-7) – in patients with diabetes
° Systolic BP <130 mm Hg (JNC), <140* (ADA)
° Diastolic BP <80 mm Hg
° Screening and diagnosis
During pregnancy 110–129/65–79 mm Hg
° ■ BP should be measured at every office visit
■ Elevated levels should be confirmed on a separate day
° Treatment
■ Patients with SBP of 130–139 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure
tolerated)
• During pregnancy, ACEIs and ARBs are contraindicated
• In patients with microalbuminuria or established nephropathy,
either ACEIs or ARBs are considered first-line therapy
■ Second-line agent after ACEI/ARB: usually a thiazide diuretic
*Lower systolic targets, such as <130 mmHg, may be appropriate for certain individuals, such as younger
patients, if achieved without undue treatment burden.
DYSLIPIDEMIA
• Type 2 DM patients have an increased prevalence of lipid abnormali-
ties, contributing to their higher CVD risk
• Major abnormalities include increased triglycerides (TG), low HDL
cholesterol (HDL-C), and more atherogenic LDL particles
• Major reductions in CVD event rates from statin therapy has been
reported in multiple trials focused on or including large numbers of
diabetic patients (CARDS, Heart Protection Study, TNT, PROVE IT)
• Fasting lipid profile should be measured annually
LIPID GUIDELINES
• ADA Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes (2013)
° Reduction of CVD events with statins correlates well with lowering
of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), so targeting LDL remains the preferred
strategy. Secondary goals include
■ TG <150 mg/dL
■ HDL >40 mg/dL in men; >50 mg/dL in women
° with overt
Statin therapy should be added to lifestyle therapy for DM patients
CAD and those without CVD who are > age 40 who have
≥1 CVD risk factors (family history of CVD, hypertension, smoking,
dyslipidemia, or albuminuria)
° In individual without overt CVD, primary LDL goal is <100 mg/dL
° In very high-risk individuals (e.g., with overt CVD), lower LDL goal of
<70 mg/dL is recommended
° If30−40%
patients do not reach the above goals, then a reduction in LDL of
from baseline is an acceptable goal
° acid sequestrants)
Additional pharmacological agents (fibrates, niacin, ezetimibe, bile
may improve lipid parameters but no evidence
that such therapy will reduce event rates or that combinations of
these agents with statins is beneficial
ANTIPLATELET THERAPY
• 2010 Position Statement of the ADA, American Heart Association
(AHA), and American College of Cardiology (ACC). Aspirin therapy
(75−162 mg/day) as primary prevention in patients with types
1 or 2 diabetes at increased CV risk (10-year risk >10%: most men
>50 and women >60 who have at least 1 of the following additional
major risk factors: smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, family history
of premature CVD, albuminuria)
• Aspirin not recommended for CVD prevention for adults at low CVD risk
(10-year risk <5%: most men <50 and women <60 who have no other
major CVD risk factor)
• Clinical judgment required for patients in these age groups at interme-
diate risk with a 10-year risk of 5−10%
• Aspirin therapy recommended as secondary prevention in those with
diabetes and a history of CVD
• For those with an aspirin allergy, clopidogrel 75 mg/day should
be used
• Combination therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel may be used for up
to 1 year following an acute coronary syndrome
• Aspirin for patients <21 is contraindicated due to the associated risk
of Reye’s syndrome
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up of intensive glucose control in type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med,
2008;359(15):1577−89.
Kushner FG, Hand M, Smith SC Jr, et al. 2009 Focused Updates: ACC/
AHA Guidelines for the Management of Patients With ST-Elevation
Myocardial Infarction (updating the 2004 Guideline and 2007 Focused
Update) and ACC/AHA/SCAI Guidelines on Percutaneous Coronary
Intervention (updating the 2005 Guideline and 2007 Focused Update):
a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American
Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Circulation,
2009;120(22):2271−306.
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Third Report of the Expert Panel on
Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults
(Adult Treatment Panel III ) . Available at. www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/
cholesterol.
Pignone M, Alberts MJ, Colwell JA, et al. Aspirin for primary prevention of
cardiovascular events in people with diabetes: a position statement of the
American Diabetes Association, a scientific statement of the American
Heart Association, and an expert consensus document of the American
College of Cardiology Foundation. Circulation, 2010;121(24):2694−701.
Skyler JS, Bergenstal R, Bonow RO, et al. Intensive glycemic control and
the prevention of cardiovascular events: implications of the ACCORD,
ADVANCE, and VA diabetes trials: a position statement of the American
Diabetes Association and a scientific statement of the American College
of Cardiology Foundation and the American Heart Association. Circulation,
2009;119(2):351−7.
UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Group. Effect of intensive blood-
glucose control with metformin on complications in overweight patients
with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 34). Lancet, 1998;352(9131):854−65.
UK Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Group. Intensive blood-glucose con-
trol with sulphonylureas or insulin compared with conventional treatment
and risk of complications in patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 33).
Lancet, 1998;352(9131):837−53.
CLASSIFICATION
• Preexisting type 1 (7.5%) or type 2 diabetes (5%)
• Gestational Diabetes (GDM) (87.5%)
° Placental production of human placental lactogen increases
maternal tissue resistance and leads to the development of glucose
intolerance in pregnancy
° Resolves after the delivery of baby
° Overt diabetes will develop in 20−30% of women who experience
GDM within 5 years
DIAGNOSIS OF GDM
• No universally accepted criteria as yet but International Association of
Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) has been convened to
resolve this issue
• The following criteria has been proposed by the IADPSG and is cur-
rently endorsed by the ADA but not yet by the American College of
Obstetrics & Gynecology (ACOG)
° 2-hour 75 g OGTT between 24 and 28 weeks gestation
° Woman has GDM if any one of these are met
■ Fasting ≥92 mg/dL (5.1 mmol/l)
°Woman has GDM if two or more of these are met on 100-g OGTT
■ Fasting ≥95 mg/dL (5.3 mmol/l)
• All pregnant women with risk factors should be screened with an OGTT
and A1C for preexisting diabetes at first prenatal visit using standard
diagnostic criteria for DM (2 fasting PG levels ≥126 mg/dL confirmed on
separate days, any random PG level ≥200 mg/dL or A1C >6.5%). Patients
with normal results should then have screening for GDM at 24–28 weeks
• All women with previous GDM should be offered early self-monitoring
of blood glucose levels or an OGTT at 16−18 weeks followed by a
repeat OGTT at 28 weeks if the results are normal
POSTNATAL CARE
• Women with GDM can discontinue all hypoglycemic treatments
immediately after birth but keep monitoring their blood glucose levels
for 48 hours on a normal diet
° Women who required insulin or oral medications during pregnancy
should be offered an OGTT 6−12 weeks postpartum to ensure that
their glucose tolerance has returned to normal. If 6−12 week OGTT
is normal, they should be offered OGTT every 1−3 years thereafter.
REFERENCES
American Diabetes Association. Detection and diagnosis of gestational
diabetes mellitus (GDM). Diabetes Care, 2012;35(Suppl 1):S15–S16.
Crowther CA, Hiller JE, Moss JR, et al. Effect of treatment of gesta-
tional diabetes mellitus on pregnancy outcomes. N Engl J Med,
2005;352(24):2477–86.
HAPO Study Cooperative Research Group, Metzger BE, Lowe LP, et al.
Hyperglycemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes. N Engl J Med,
2008;358(19):1991–2002.
International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups
Consensus Panel, Metzger BE, Gabbe SG, et al. International association
of diabetes and pregnancy study groups recommendations on the diag-
nosis and classification of hyperglycemia in pregnancy. Diabetes Care,
2010;33(3):676–82.
Landon MB, Spong CY, Thom E, et al. A multicenter, randomized trial of treat-
ment for mild gestational diabetes. N Engl J Med, 2009;361(14):1339–48.
Löbner K, Knopff A, Baumgarten A, et al. Predictors of postpartum diabetes
in women with gestational diabetes mellitus. Diabetes, 2006;55(3):792–7.
Rowan JA, Hague WM, Gao W, Battin MR, Moore MP; MiG Trial Investigators.
Metformin versus insulin for the treatment of gestational diabetes. N Engl
J Med, 2008;358(19):2003–15.
• Protocol for initiating insulin if the patient has glucose levels above
goal or a history of diabetes
° Consider resuming home basal-bolus regimen if the patient reports
good glucose control
° Weight-based insulin regimen
■ Calculate TDD of insulin
basal-bolus regimen
• Do not use correction-dose insulin as the sole insulin strategy
in hospitalized patients
an increase in glucose
■ SQ regimens: glargine daily, detemir every 12−24 hours, or NPH
hyperglycemia
■ Insulin doses will need to be titrated for changes in steroid dose
• IV insulin protocols
° Amaintain
standardized insulin protocol should be employed in order to
goal glucose levels and reduce hypoglycemia
° glucose
The insulin protocol should allow for titration of IV insulin as
levels change
° Multiple published protocols are available
■ The protocol should be adapted to fi t the needs of the local
institution
• Transitioning from IV insulin to SQ insulin is appropriate as critical
illness resolves
° See section Transition from IV Insulin Infusion in Chapter 46
REFERENCES
Donaldson S, Villanuueva G, Rondinelli L, Baldwin D. Rush University guide-
lines and protocols for the management of hyperglycemia in hospitalized
patients: elimination of the sliding scale and improvement of glycemic
control throughout the hospital. Diabetes Educ, 2006;32(6):954−62.
Jakoby MG 4th, Nannapaneni N. An Insulin Protocol for Management of
Hyperglycemia in Patients Receiving Parenteral Nutrition Is Superior to Ad
Hoc Management. J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 2011 Aug 8. PMID: 21825091.
Moghissi ES, Korytkowski MT, DiNardo M, et al. American Association
of Clinical Endocrinologists and American Diabetes Association
consensus statement on inpatient glycemic control. Endocr Pract,
2009;15(4):353−69.
NICE-SUGAR Study Investigators, Finfer S, Chittock DR, et al. Intensive
versus conventional glucose control in critically ill patients. N Engl J Med,
2009;360(13):1283−97.
Umpierrez GE, Hellman R, Korytkowski MT, et al. Management of
hyperglycemia in hospitalized patients in non-critical care setting: an
endocrine society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2012;97(1):16−38.
van den Berghe G, Wouters P, Weekers F, et al. Intensive insulin therapy in
critically ill patients.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Increased insulin resistance
° Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG): higher hepatic insulin resistance
° Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT): higher muscle insulin resistance
• Decreased insulin secretion
° Secondary to β-cell failure
° IFG and IGT both with impaired first-phase insulin secretion
° IGT has impaired second-phase insulin secretion
• Environmental factors that aggravate genetic components
° Weight gain
° Physical inactivity
° Aging
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Those with prediabetes are typically asymptomatic
• Screening for prediabetes is based on screening criteria for diabetes in
asymptomatic patients
TABLE 54.1 Diagnostic Evaluation
Test Results
IFG 100−125 mg/dL (5.6−6.9 mmol/L)
IGT* 140−199 mg/dL (7.8−11.0 mmol/L)
HbA1c 5.7−6.4% (6−6.4% considered high-risk for diabetes)
*2-h value in the 75-g OGTT.
ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS
• Obesity
• CVD
° IGT: strong predictor of CVD
° Higher incidence of both microvascular (microalbuminuria,
retinopathy, and neuropathy) and macrovascular complications as
compared to those with normoglycemia
• Dyslipidemia with high TG levels ± low HDL-C
• Hypertension
REFERENCES
American Diabetes Association. Standards of medical care in diabetes—2012.
Diabetes Care, 2012;35(Suppl 1):S11−63.
DeFronzo RA, Abdul-Ghani MA. Preservation of β-cell function: the key to
diabetes prevention. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2011;96(8):2354−66.
Grundy SM. Prediabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular risk. J Am
Coll Cardiol 2012; 59:635–43.
Moutzouri E, Tsimihodimos V, Rizos E, Elisaf M. Prediabetes: to treat or not to
treat? Eur J Pharmacol, 2011;672(1-3):9−19.
Rhee SY, Woo JT. The prediabetic period: review of clinical aspects. Diabetes
Metab J, 2011;35(2):107−16.
■ Osteomyelitis
pathogen
• Management of diabetic foot ulcers
° exposed toofcontinuing
Provision adequate off-loading to prevent the ulcer site being
trauma
° Debridement of the wound edge and removal of necrotic material
° Dressing of the wound with simple dressing products
■ There is no robust scientifi c evidence to justify the use of any
wounds
° Use of appropriate antibiotic therapy or other modalities to elimi-
nate infection (see section on soft tissue infection)
° Organization
Consider revascularization for significant PAD
° of frequent review of the status of the wound
• Soft tissue infection (STI)
° In newly occurring STI, the infecting organisms are usually aerobic
Gram-positive cocci and empiric treatment can be based on narrow
spectrum antibiotics such as flucloxacillin (dicloxacillin in the US)
or erythromycin, but must be governed by local prescribing policy
° When the patient has already been exposed to antibiotic treatment
and/or the wound is deeper or necrotic, the responsible pathogens
may be Gram-positive, Gram-negative, aerobic or anaerobic, and
therefore empiric antibiotic choice must broad spectrum, such as
ampicillin/sulbactam or clindamycin plus quinolone, but must be
guided by local prescribing policy
° specimen
Treatment should ideally be based on microbiologic examination of
of deep soft tissue
■ Swabs (either superfi cial or deep) are not useful
° Plain X-rays may be normal for several weeks following the onset
of the disease
° The mostX-rays
If plain are normal, the diagnosis may established by MRI
° gens may common
be involved
infecting organism is S. aureus but other patho-
longer
■ Patients often suffer marked frustration and depression because
REFERENCES
Lipsky BA, Berendt AR, Cornia PB, et al. 2012 Infectious Diseases Society
of America clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of
diabetic foot infections. Clin Infect Dis, 2012;54:e132–73.
Rogers LC, Frykberg RG, Armstrong DG, et al. The Charcot foot in diabetes.
Diabetes Care, 2011;34(9):2123−9.
SYMPTOMS
• Neurogenic symptoms are the result of adrenergic response, i.e.,
release of NE, Epi, and acetylcholine, in response to hypoglycemia
• Neuroglycopenic symptoms are the result of CNS glucose deprivation
TABLE 56.1 Neurogenic Versus Neuroglycopenic Symptoms
Neurogenic Symptoms Neuroglycopenic Symptoms
Sweating Confusion, irritability
Tremulousness Psychotic behavior
Palpitations Motor incoordination, paresis
Anxiety and confusion Diplopia
Hunger Seizure, coma
DIAGNOSIS
• Document Whipple’s triad (draw labs before administering glucose)
• Labs: glucose, insulin, C-peptide, proinsulin, insulin secretagogue
screen, β hydroxybutyrate (and if indicated: ethanol, insulin antibod-
ies, and IGF-2)
• If unable to draw labs during a spontaneous episode, perform 72-hour
fast
° Check serum glucose, insulin, and β hydroxybutyrate every 6 hours
until blood glucose <60
° Increase frequency of lab draws to every 2 hours until blood
glucose <45, then check glucose, insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide,
and β hydroxybutyrate
° 1-mg IV glucagon injection given after labs drawn to relieve symp-
toms and correct hypoglycemia (check PG 10, 20, and 30 minutes
after glucagon injection)
resection
TREATMENT
• Acute episode
° If4-ounce
patient awake and able to take oral meds: glucose tabs (~15 g) or
juice or soda
° IfD50 IV
patient not able to take oral meds but has IV access: ½ amp
(1/2 amp = 12.5 g)
° IfSQ/IM
patient cannot take oral meds and no IV access: glucagon 1 mg
REFERENCES
Cryer PE, Axelrod L, Grossman AB, et al. Evaluation and management of
adult hypoglycemic disorders: an Endocrine Society Clinical Practice
Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2009;94(3):709−28.
Guettier JM, Gorden P. Hypoglycemia. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am,
2006;35(4):753−6.
Krinsley JS, Grover A. Severe hypoglycemia in critically ill patients: risk
factors and outcomes. Crit Care Med, 2007;35(10):2262−7.
Murad MH, Coto-Yglesias F, Wang AT, et al. Clinical review: drug-induced
hypoglycemia: a systematic review. J Clin Endocrinol Metab,
2009;94(3):741−5.
Intestine
Liver
Chylomicrons CM–Remnant
LPL
FFA
Peripheral Adipose
Tissue Tissue
Peripheral
Tissue
Liver
LDL
VLDL IDL
LPL
FFA
Peripheral
Adipose
Tissue
Tissue
Liver LCAT
HDL nHDL ABCA1
CE FC
CETP
LDL VLDL
FIGURE 57.3 Reverse cholesterol (HDL) Pathway
REFERENCES
Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood
Cholesterol in Adults. Executive Summary of the Third Report of the
National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on
Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults
(Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA, 2001;285(19):2486−97.
Knopp RH. Drug treatment of lipid disorders. N Engl J Med, 1999;341(7):498−511.
Kwiterovich, PO. The American Journal of Cardiology, Volume 86, Issue 12,
Supplement 1, 21 December 2000, Pages 5–10.
LIPID COMPONENTS
• Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is present in cell membranes
• Precursor of bile acids and steroid hormones
• Travels in the blood as distinct particles called lipoproteins
° LDL
■ Accounts for 60−70% of plasma cholesterol
° VLDL
■ Contains 10−15% of total serum cholesterol
■ Produced by liver
ApoE
■ Atherogenic, especially VLDL remnants
° Chylomicrons
■ Triglyceride (TG) rich
° ■ Dietary modifi
Treatment involves diet and medical therapy
cation with special attention to
• Low-fat diets, especially saturated fats and trans fats
• Restriction of carbohydrates
• Increased fiber
■ Correction of metabolic abnormalities (diabetes, obesity,
hypothyroid)
■ Medical therapy includes the use of fibrate drugs, statins, and
niacin
• Type IV (familial hypertriglyceridemia)
° Elevated VLDL-related serum TG level
° Association with diabetes
° No specific physical
Association with CHD is not as strong as with type II disorders
° Treatment centered around
exam findings
° ■ Limit alcohol and encourage lifestyle modifications
low-fat dieting
■ Increasing physical activity
48565_ST06_251-352.indd 336
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5/1/13 9:32 PM
Common Pharmacologic Therapies 337
■ Transaminitis
■ Erectile dysfunction
° The Coronary Drug Project had previously shown that use of niacin
improved mortality at 15 years
° Recent data (AIM-HIGH study) have called into question the
concept that the addition of niacin to statin therapy would improve
CHD outcomes
REFERENCES
AIM-HIGH Investigators, Boden WE, Probstfield JL, et al. Niacin in patients
with low HDL cholesterol levels receiving intensive statin therapy. N Engl J
Med, 2011;365(24):2255−67.
Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood
Cholesterol in Adults. Executive Summary of the Third Report of the
National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on
Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults
(Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA, 2001;285(19):2486−97.
FDA. “Drug Safety and Availability > FDA Drug Safety Communication:
New restrictions, contraindications, and dose limitations for Zocor
(simvastatin) to reduce the risk of muscle injury.” 12/15/11. FDA. 6/28/12.
Available at: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm256581.htm
Frederickso DS, Lees RS. A system for phenotyping hyperlipoproteinemia.
Circulation, 1965;31:321−7.
Grundy SM, Cleeman JI, Merz CN, et al. Implications of recent clinical trials
for the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III
guidelines. Circulation, 2004;110(2):227−39.
Quehenberger O, Dennis EA. The human plasma lipidome. N Engl J Med,
2011;365(19):1812−23.
■ Mechanical cushion
LEPTIN
• A circulating peptide hormone with structural homology to cytokines
• Secreted into the circulation in proportion to adipose tissue mass and
is also regulated acutely by nutritional status
• Effects of leptin are mediated through actions on leptin receptors
present in the hypothalamus
• Its primary role is to serve as a signal of energy sufficiency
° Leptin levels rapidly decline with weight loss
° Aexpenditure
decline in leptin levels increase appetite and reduce energy
ADIPONECTIN
• Adipocyte secreted protein that circulates at high concentrations
in multimeric complexes, which suppresses hepatic glucose production
• Circulating levels decrease in obesity and increase with weight loss or
thiazolidinedione treatment
OBESITY
• Defined as excess adiposity
• Produced by a combination of adipocyte hyperplasia and hypertrophy
• Clinical definitions
° Overweight: BMI >25 kg/m2
° Obesity: BMI >30 kg/m2
• A key component of the “metabolic syndrome,” which is a cluster of
cardiovascular disease risk factors including hypertriglyceridemia,
hypertension, low HDL-C, and insulin resistance (see Chapter 61,
Metabolic Syndrome)
• Increased risk for early mortality with increasing obesity
• Rapidly increasing prevalence over the last three decades
° In the United Sates, the prevalence of obesity is >30%
° The explanation for the rapidly increasing prevalence of obesity
remains uncertain. Potential contributors include
■ Environmental factors: changes in diet and exercise
in a population
• Variants in the melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) gene and
the fat mass and obesity−associated (FTO) gene account for
~2% of the variation in BMI
• Genome wide association scans have identified an additional
8 genetic loci associated with BMI; however, variants in
these genes appear to account for only a small fraction of the
heritability of BMI
LIPODYSTROPHIES
• Disorders characterized by selective or generalized absence or loss of
body fat
• May be genetic or acquired and partial or generalized
• The most prevalent form of lipodystrophy is associated with HIV infec-
tion and treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART),
particularly protease inhibitors
• Causes insulin resistance and its associated complications such as
DM, hypertriglyceridemia, and often severe hepatic steatosis
• Use of a methylated form of leptin is currently under investigation as
replacement therapy of several varieties of lipodystrophy
REFERENCES
Barbatelli G, Murano I, Madsen L, et al. The emergence of cold-induced
brown adipocytes in mouse white fat depots is determined predominantly
by white to brown adipocyte transdifferentiation. Am J Physiol Endocrinol
Metab, 2010;298(6):E1244−53.
Duncan RE, Ahmadian M, Jaworski K, Sarkadi-Nagy E, Sul HS. Regulation of
lipolysis in adipocytes. Annu Rev Nutr, 2007;27:79−101.
Fawcett KA, Barroso I. The genetics of obesity: FTO leads the way. Trends
Genet, 2010;26(6):266−74.
Garg A. Clinical review: lipodystrophies: genetic and acquired body fat
disorders. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2011;96(11):3313−25.
Kershaw EE, Flier JS. Adipose tissue as an endocrine organ. J Clin Endocrinol
Metab, 2004;89(6):2548−56.
PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Obesity involves a complex interaction between genetics, behavior,
and environment. Ultimately, it results from chronic energy imbalance
where intake exceeds expenditure.
° Energy intake can be estimated with dietary journals reviewed
by the practitioner or a registered dietician; accuracy hinges on
patient motivation and perceptions of intake
° Energy expenditure is a product of the resting metabolic rate (RMR)
and a physical activity factor
■ Resting metabolic rate (kcal/day) = 10 X weight (kg) + 6.25 X
height (cm) – 5.0 X age (yr) + s (s = 5 for males and –161 for
females)
■ Physical activity factor (range 1.2–1.9): sedentary = 1.2, moder-
DIAGNOSIS
• BMI = weight (kg)/height (m) squared
• BMI is the current standard for classification of obesity by the WHO
and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
° Overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9)
° Obesity class I (BMI 30.0–34.9)
° Obesity class III
Obesity class II (BMI 35.0–39.9)
° (BMI ≥40.0)
• Increased BMI and waist circumference (WC) are independently asso-
ciated with increased risk for type 2 DM, hypertension, and CVD
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
TABLE 60.1 History at Clinical Presentation of Obesity
History Components Evaluate for Comorbidities
• Age of onset of obesity • Coronary heart disease
• Weight loss attempts including • Type 2 DM
methods, successes, and failures • Sleep apnea
• Food intake with attention to skipped • Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
meals, portion size, beverage choices, • PCOS
food consumed between scheduled
meals, and dining out
• Physical activity including duration,
intensity, and frequency of activities
• Triggers for increased food
consumption and decreased physical
Assess Factors Increasing CVD Risk
activity
• Perceived impact of obesity on health • Tobacco use
and body image • Hypertension
• Willingness and motivation to lose • Hyperlipidemia (LDL >160, LDL
weight 130–159 with 2 additional risk factors,
• Medications and supplements HDL <35)
• Targeted review of systems to evaluate • Impaired fasting glucose
for secondary contributors of obesity • Family history of CAD (Men ≥45,
such as hypothyroidism and Cushing’s women ≥55)
syndrome
• Physical examination
° Height, weight, WC (measured at the level of the iliac crest at the
end of expiration) should be measured in addition to standard vital
signs.
° Aattention
complete physical examination should be performed with specific
to signs that maybe consistent with a secondary contribu-
tor of obesity such as Cushing’s syndrome and hypothyroidism
• Laboratory evaluation
° Electrolytes, LFTs, TSH, fasting lipid panel, fasting BG
° Ifsalivary
clinically suspected, a 24-hour urine-free cortisol or midnight
cortisol should be collected to screen for Cushing’s disease
TREATMENT
• Patient involvement and investment are critical for success; goals
of treatment and a treatment plan should be made jointly with the
patient and discussed at each visit
• Injury prevention should be reviewed and the necessity for pretreat-
ment cardiovascular assessment should be determined by the
practitioner
• Goals of therapy
° Apounds
10% decrease from baseline weight with a rate between 1 and 2
per week is recommended for initial weight loss
° Plan adjustment may be required after initial weight loss because
of an adjustment of the energy balance
• Lifestyle modifications
° Diet
■ Total energy intake should be reduced by 500–1000 kcal/day for
exercise behaviors
REFERENCES
Bray GA. Medications for weight reduction. Med Clin North Am,
2011;95(5):989−1008.
Donnelly JE, Blair SN, Jakicic JM, et al. American College of Sports Medicine
Position Stand. Appropriate physical activity intervention strategies for
weight loss and prevention of weight regain for adults. Med Sci Sports
Exerc, 2009;41(2):459−71.
Laddu D, Dow C, Hingle M, Thomson C, Going S. A review of evidence-based
strategies to treat obesity in adults. Nutr Clin Pract, 2011;26(5):512−25.
INTRODUCTION
• Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors that predict the risk for
cardiovascular and metabolic disease
• A list of the primary components and other factors that are often
present but not included in the definition of metabolic syndrome are
shown in Table 61-1
• Metabolic syndrome is highly prevalent in obese individuals
• The higher the number of abnormal components, the greater is the risk
of cardiometabolic diseases
° Fasting glucose alone may be as good as the metabolic syndrome in
predicting diabetes
° Low HDL-C and elevated BP are strong predictors of CVD
• Acarbose has a stronger association with diabetes than with CHD
PREVALENCE
• The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome has been estimated at
23.7% of the adult population or 47 million US adults
• The prevalence increases with age
° 6.7% in those aged 20–29 years
° 43.5% in those aged 60–69 years
° 42% in people older than 70 years
• The overall prevalence is similar in men and women (24.0% versus
23.4%)
• Ethnic variation with higher prevalence in African-American and
Mexican-American women (57%) and men (30%)
DIAGNOSIS
• The NCEP Adult Treatment Panel III has provided defining values for
5 components of the metabolic syndrome including WC, plasma TG,
plasma HDL-C, fasting glucose, and BP. When 3 of the 5 criteria are
abnormal, the patient has metabolic syndrome
• Other diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome were developed by the
WHO and the International Diabetes Federation
• The agreed upon international diagnostic criteria are shown below.
The diagnosis requires that 3 of the 5 measures listed in below be
abnormal and allows different definitions of WC to be employed. In
general, WC >40 inches (102 cm) in men and >35 inches (88 cm) in
women is the risk level in the US
° International criteria for The Metabolic Syndrome (Drug treatments
for any of these conditions are considered alternate indicator criteria)
■ ↑ waist circumference (population- and country-specific definitions)
diastolic)
■ ↑ fasting blood glucose (> 100 mg/dL)
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia
• Focus history on symptoms of diabetes and its complications, obesity
and its complications, CAD (angina), and polycystic ovary syndrome
(PCOS)
• Other complications include cognitive decline in the elderly, fatty liver
disease, obstructive sleep apnea, gout, and chronic kidney disease
• Complete physical examination, including height, weight, waist
circumference, and BP
LABORATORY TESTING
• Fasting lipid profile (TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and TG)
• Fasting glucose
TREATMENT
• Weight loss will improve all of the markers of the metabolic syndrome
and reduces the risk of developing diabetes
• Diet and exercise is the first step in management
TABLE 61.2 The Effect of Substantial Weight Loss After Surgery on the Incidence
of the Metabolic Syndrome in Randomized Control Trials
Reduction in the
Study Population Incidence of Diabetes Signifi cance
Mild-to-moderately obese
From 40% → 3% P = 0.006
adults (BMI 30–35)
Obese adults with type 2
97% → 28% P < 0.001
diabetes
Obese adolescents 36% → 0% P = 0.03
REFERENCES
Alberti KG, Eckel RH, Grundy SM, et al. Harmonizing the metabolic syndrome:
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Blood Institute; American Heart Association; World Heart Federation;
International Atherosclerosis Society; and International Association for
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PATHOPHYSIOLOGY
• Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are generally subcategorized as either
carcinoid tumors or pancreatic endocrine tumors
• The release of substances such as serotonin, gastrin, glucagon, and
insulin into the systemic circulation results in the unique systemic
syndromes associated with NETs
• NETs can be further classified according to histology. The majority are
well-differentiated and pursue a relatively indolent course. A minority,
however, are poorly differentiated and pursue an aggressive course;
these tumors are treated with aggressive surgery and/or traditional
chemotherapy
TABLE 62.1 Histologic Classifi cation of Neuroendocrine Tumors
Mitotic Ki-67
Differentiation Grade Count Index Traditional ENETS, WHO
Low grade <2 per ≤2% Carcinoid, islet Neuroendocrine
(G1) 10 HPF cell, pancreatic tumor,
(neuro) grade 1
endocrine
tumor
Well- Intermediate 2–20 per 3–20% Carcinoid, Neuroendocrine
differentiated grade (G2) 10 HPF atypical tumor,
carcinoid, grade 2
islet cell,
pancreatic
(neuro)
endocrine
tumor
High grade >20 per >20 % Small cell Neuroendocrine
(G3) 10 HPF carcinoma carcinoma,
grade 3,
Poorly small cell
differentiated Large cell Neuroendocrine
neuroendocrine carcinoma
carcinoma grade 3, large
cell
CLINICAL PRESENTATION
• Pancreatic NET
° Pancreatic NET may arise either sporadically or, less commonly, in
patients with MEN-1
° The clinical presentations of pancreatic endocrine tumors
are diverse and are often related to symptoms of hormonal
hypersecretion (Table 62.2)
° Diagnostic tests and initial treatment of symptoms of hormonal
hypersecretion depend on the type of tumor (Table 62.2)
TABLE 62.2 Clinical Presentation and Initial Treatment of Pancreatic
Neuroendocrine Tumors
Tumor Symptoms or Signs Diagnostic Tests
Insulinoma Hypoglycemia resulting in Insulin/glucose ratio;
intermittent confusion, C-peptide; 48–72 hour
sweating, weakness, inpatient fast if necessary
nausea; loss of
consciousness may occur
in severe cases
Glucagonoma Rash (necrotizing migratory Serum glucagon
erythema), cachexia,
diabetes, deep venous
thrombosis
VIPoma, Verner-Morrison Profound secretory Serum VIP
syndrome, WDHA diarrhea, electrolyte
syndrome disturbances
Gastrinoma, Acid hypersecretion Basal gastrin; stimulated
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome resulting in refractory gastrin level if basal
peptic ulcer disease, gastrin inconclusive
abdominal pain, and
diarrhea
• Carcinoid tumors
° Aaccording
commonly used classification scheme groups carcinoid tumors
to their presumed derivation from the embryonic gut:
foregut (bronchial and gastric), midgut (small intestine and
appendiceal), and hindgut (rectal)
° The clinical presentation and management of these tumors varies,
depending upon their site of origin (see Table 62.3)
DIAGNOSIS
• Laboratory esting
° Urinary 5-Hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) levels
■ Elevated levels of 5HIAA in a 24-hour urine collection are highly
carcinoid
■ Colonoscopy is appropriate in patients with suspected rectal or
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Compr Canc Netw, 2012;10(6):724−64.
• Related conditions
° Incomplete APS2: presence of AITD or type 1 DM with adrenal
autoantibodies; or patients with AI with thyroid and/or islet cell
autoantibodies (but not overt AITD or type 1 DM)
■ Many will develop APS2 in the future; around 30% with positive
Diagnosis of APS2
• History and examination essential
° Ask about family history of autoimmunity
° All patients with a single autoimmune disease are at risk for others
° Number of disorders and age of onset is unpredictable
° Long-term follow-up is needed to decrease morbidity and mortality,
especially from undiagnosed AI
• Autoantibody screening depends on the likelihood of finding another
autoimmune disease and of reducing morbidity and mortality
° AI: 50% have second autoimmune endocrinopathy, so screen
for AITD and type 1 DM at diagnosis and at periodic intervals.
Autoantibodies (i.e., TPO, GAD65, insulin, islet cell, and IA-2) can
develop at any time, so period screening is indicated even if initial
testing is negative. The optimal interval for retesting is not clear.
Some advocate checking antibodies every 5 years in adults, with
further testing yearly if positive. However, others recommend yearly
TSH testing with or without antibody screening.
° Patients with type 1 DM: at risk for AITD, therefore screen annually
with TSH; only screen for other conditions if clinical concern
Management of APS2
• Hormone replacement or other therapies for the component diseases
of APS2 are similar whether the disease occurs in isolation or in
association with other conditions, and disorders should be treated as
they are diagnosed
° In patients with AITD and subclinical adrenocortical failure, LT4
initiation can precipitate an adrenal crisis (by ↑ cortisol clearance)
TABLE 63.4 Major and Minor Manifestations Associated with APS1 Frequencies
Seen in North American and European Patients Are Shown in Parentheses
Major — Chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (72–
Manifestations 100%), autoimmune hypoparathyroidism
(76–93%), autoimmune adrenal failure
(73–100%)
Minor Endocrine Hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism
Manifestations (17–69%), AITD (4–31%), type 1 DM
(0–33%), pituitary defects (7%)
Gastrointestinal Pernicious anemia (13–31%),
malabsorption (10–22%), cholelithiasis
(44%), chronic active hepatitis (5–31%)
Dermatological Vitiligo (8–31%), alopecia (29–40%),
urticarial-like erythema with fever (15%)
Ectodermal Dysplasia Nail dystrophy (10–52%), dental enamel
hypoplasia (40–77%), tympanic
membrane calcification (33%)
Other Keratoconjunctivitis (2–35%), hypo/
asplenia (15–40%)
• Minor manifestations present throughout life, until about the fifth decade
° Median number of disease components is 4 but can be up to 10
° Chronic active hepatitis varies from asymptomatic to cirrhosis or
fulminant hepatic failure with a potentially fatal outcome. Beware
↑ transaminase levels
• Great variability in the clinical picture makes diagnosis challenging
Diagnosis of APS1
• Clinical diagnosis requires 2 of the 3 major manifestations OR 1 major
and 2 minor manifestations OR 1 major manifestation + affected sibling
• Confirm with DNA screening for autoimmune regulator (AIRE) muta-
tions and autoantibody screen
° Since genetic testing often looks for only the most common muta-
tions, a negative result may not exclude the diagnosis
° prevalence
Interferon autoantibodies (IFN-α and IFN-ω) have almost 100%
in APS1 and are disease-specific, so should be mea-
sured to help identify those with negative genetic screening
• After diagnosis, close follow-up is essential, as some manifestations
(particularly AI and chronic active hepatitis) are life threatening
° New components recognized by standard surveillance methods
° Presence of autoantibodies indicates need for at least annual
screening for the relevant condition
° Absence of antibodies does not exclude disease development
• All siblings should be assessed
Management of APS1
• Treat individual disorders
• Treat oral candidiasis because of the risk of oral carcinoma
• Ca 2+ levels in APS1 hypoparathyroidism are often labile, probably due
to malabsorption
° Monitor frequently (2–3 times monthly) and maintain around lower
end of the normal range (2.0–2.2 mmol/L) to avoid hypercalciuria
° ↓ Mg may contribute to resistance to Ca and require replacement
2+ 2+
DIAGNOSIS OF MEN-1
• Due to inactivating mutation of tumor suppressor gene MEN-1.
• In 70%, MEN-1 mutation is identified, the remainder diagnosed clinically
° Genetic test if ≥2 MEN-1 associated tumors or positive family his-
tory of MEN-1. Age of screening children depends on family wishes
and local practice
• Once diagnosed, regular screening can detect tumors ~10 years before
symptom onset
• If patient with known mutation, begin screening at age 5 with history,
examination and annual Ca2+ and PTH, add in PRL, IGF-1 and pancre-
atic ultrasound after age of 10. Other tests only performed in children
if clinically indicated
• Begin screening for pancreatic neuroendocrine markers ~aged 20 by
annual measurement of gastrin, VIP, glucagon, pancreatic polypeptide,
CGA, insulin, and glucose. Also pancreas MRI every 3 years, pituitary
MRI every 3–5 years, and chest CT or MRI every 1–2 years
• If screen positive, further studies, including imaging, are necessary
DIAGNOSIS OF MEN-2
• MEN-2 caused by a gain of function mutation of the RET proto-oncogene
• Early genetic testing important as prophylactic thyroidectomy can
prevent MTC
• Close relationship between mutation and phenotype, with different
RET gene mutations correlating with time of onset of MTC, aggressive-
ness of MTC, and the presence or absence of other endocrine tumors
° Complete thyroidectomy recommended for all patients
° Timing of surgery (age < 1 yr, 1–5 yrs, 5–10 yrs) depends on the
particular RET mutation
° Annual calcitonin level also recommended
MANAGEMENT OF MEN
• As per the individual condition or tumor, preferably by a multidisciplinary
team involving the relevant specialists experienced in managing MEN
• Other key points
° Hyperparathyroidism gradually involves multiple glands, so need
subtotal (3½ glands) parathyroidectomy or total parathyroidectomy
with gland reimplantation in forearm
° Zollinger-Ellison
disease
syndrome has high mortality from peptic ulcer
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