Hypothalamus+Dirt+Digger+1

Put your name here: Amado Gallo

· Cross-examination questions. One person in your group should gather the “dirt” on other glands. Your group will be given one bonus point for each time you “stump” the other groups, and provide information that suggests that another gland should be removed.

Adrenal gland disorders (or diseases) are conditions that interfere with the normal functioning of the adrenal glands. They are characterized by adrenal insufficiencies, where there are deficiencies in the availability of steroids that are produced by the adrenal glands. Adrenal Gland disorder is rather prevalent in small animals including rabbits & guinea pigs. They may cause hyperfunction or hypofunction, and it may be congenital or acquired. Adrenal gland disorders are challenging to diagnose, but if left untreated, they are life threatening and can be very deadly. There are two parts of the adrenal glands, the adrenal cortex and the adrenal medulla. The adrenal cortex produces cortisol, a hormone that regulates nearly every type of organ and tissue within the body. The adrenal cortex also produces aldosterone. It helps to maintain appropriate proportions of water and salts within the body. When the proportions are disrupted, it results in low blood pressure. Most patients with adrenal insufficiency may experience fatigue, poor appetites, dizziness, weight loss, and nausea. General information The adrenal glands have an effect on many functions ...

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[|Pancreatitis] Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas. It is caused when the digestive enzymes from the exocrine pancreas become activated inside of the pancreas, instead of in the duodenum, and start “digesting” the pancreas itself. It usually presents with abdominal pain and can cause nausea and vomiting. [|Pancreatic Cancer] Cancer of the pancreas is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States, killing about 32,000 people a year. Risks include smoking, age, gender (more common in men), chronic pancreatitis, and exposure to some industrial chemicals. Most (95%) pancreatic cancers are adenocarcinomas, developing in the exocrine tissues. Pancreatic cancer is very difficult to detect in the early stages because symptoms are either absent or nonspecific: abdominal pain, nausea, loss of appetite, and sometimes [|jaundice]. Only about 10% of the cancers are still contained within the pancreas at the time of diagnosis. [|Pancreatic Insufficiency] Pancreatic insufficiency is the inability of the pancreas to produce and/or transport enough digestive enzymes to break down food in the intestine and allow its absorption. It typically occurs as a result of progressive pancreatic damage - damage that may be caused by a variety of conditions. It is most frequently associated with cystic fibrosis in children and with chronic pancreatitis in adults; it is less frequently but sometimes associated with pancreatic cancer.
 * Common Diseases of the Pancreas**The primary diseases of the pancreas are pancreatitis, which may be classified as acute pancreatitis or chronic pancreatitis, and cancer of the pancreas.
 * Acute pancreatitis may be a single or a recurring event, and it usually occurs suddenly. The abdominal pain in acute pancreatitis is often severe. The disease may even lead to internal bleeding and infection and can be life-threatening. The most common cause of acute pancreatitis is blockage of the pancreatic duct by gallstones. Secretions can back up in the pancreas and cause permanent damage in just a few hours. Acute pancreatitis often presents with raised levels of pancreatic enzymes in the blood. These enzymes can circulate to other body organs, causing shock and organ failure. Other causes may include biliary tract disease (obstruction, gallstones or sludge), alcohol excess, physical trauma to the abdomen, hyperlipidemia and hypercalcemia.
 * Chronic pancreatitis is characterized by chronic or persistent abdominal pain and may or may not present with raised pancreatic enzymes. It develops gradually, often results in slow destruction of the pancreas, and can lead to other problems, such as pancreatic insufficiency (see below), bacterial infections, and [|type 2 diabetes]. The main causes of chronic pancreatitis are gall bladder disease (ductal obstruction) and [|alcoholism]. Other causes of chronic pancreatitis include [|cystic fibrosis], hypercalcemia, hyperlipidemia, some drugs, and [|autoimmune conditions].

What Is Thyroid Disease?
Thyroid disease occurs when the thyroid gland doesn't supply the proper amount of hormones needed by the body. If the thyroid is overactive, it releases too much thyroid hormone into the bloodstream, resulting in **hyperthyroidism**. ("Hyper" is from the Greek, meaning "over" or "above.") Hyperthyroidism causes the body to use up energy more quickly than it should, and chemical activity (like metabolism) in the cells speeds up. An underactive thyroid produces too little thyroid hormone, resulting in **hypothyroidism**. ("Hypo" means "under" or "below.") When the amount of hormone released into the bloodstream is below normal, the body uses up energy more slowly, and chemical activity (metabolism) in the cells slows down. Although they are two different conditions, in both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism the thyroid can become larger than normal. An enlarged thyroid gland is a lump that can be felt under the skin at the front of the neck. When it is large enough to see easily, it's called a **goiter**. People who don't get enough iodine in their diets also can get an enlarged thyroid, but this is rare in the United States because foods here usually supply enough iodine.

Pituitary The most common problem with the pituitary is the development of a tumor. While most are benign, they can produce excessive amounts of a specific pituitary hormone, crowd out the production of other hormones, and compress surrounding tissues. Blood vessels and the optic nerves are in close proximity to the pituitary gland. Pressure from a tumor can cause headaches, visual disturbances, loss of vision, fatigue, weakness, and seizures, as well as a host of signs and symptoms related to diminished hormone production. Other pituitary disorders can arise from inherited genetic mutations, be congenital, be due to trauma or an impaired blood supply, due to surgical or radiation treatment of a previous pituitary disorder, due to a malignant tumor (rare), or be due to causes that are not yet well understood. The hormone deficiencies and excesses from these disorders can produce a variety of symptoms depending on which hormones and target tissues are affected. When the [|hypothalamus] is dysfunctional, pituitary hormone production is often affected. Excess or deficient hormone production by the pituitary may also occur if the glands “downstream” from it are dysfunctional. For example, normally the hypothalamus detects thyroid hormone deficiency in the blood and stimulates the pituitary to produce TSH. TSH in turn stimulates thyroid hormone production by the thyroid gland. If the thyroid gland is dysfunctional and cannot produce adequate amounts, then blood thyroid hormone levels will remain below normal even though the hypothalamus and pituitary are promoting production. The result is excessive amounts of TSH and deficient thyroid hormone concentrations.
 * Examples of Common Pituitary Disorders**
 * **Pituitary Tumors**: may be hormone-secreting or non-secreting; most are benign; may cause visual disturbances and headaches as they grow and compress surrounding tissues; often results in excessive amounts of one pituitary hormone and decreases in others.
 * **Growth Hormone Deficiency**: from a variety of causes; in children it causes delayed growth and short stature; in adults it can lead to muscular weakness, fatigue, decreased bone mass, and obesity.
 * **Hypopituitarism**: from a variety of causes including tumors, trauma, decreased pituitary blood supply, infection, sarcoidosis, an autoimmune process, radiation, surgical removal of the pituitary, or a side effect of pituitary surgery; results in a general decrease in pituitary hormone production.
 * **Hyperprolactinemia**: a pituitary tumor that secretes prolactin or a tumor that prevents the regulation of prolactin production; can cause galactorrhea and amenorrhea, and in men decreased sex drive and impotence.
 * **Empty Sella Syndrome**: the sella is the structure that surrounds the pituitary gland; it may increase in size and put pressure on the pituitary; rarely, the pituitary gland shrinks in response and hormone production decreases, leading to hypopituitarism.
 * Examples of Rare Pituitary Disorders**
 * **Acromegaly and Gigantism**: excess growth hormone production, usually due to a tumor; when it occurs in childhood, it causes gigantism associated with excessive bone growth and abnormally tall stature; in adults, it causes acromegaly, with increases in bone thickness, coarsened facial features, enlarged hands and feet, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, sweating, sleep apnea, fatigue, and [|hypertension].
 * **Cushing’s Disease**: [|Cushing’s syndrome] symptoms caused by a pituitary tumor that produces excess ACTH and leads to excess exposure to the adrenal gland hormone cortisol; symptoms vary but include: upper body obesity, a rounded face, thin skin, pink streaks on the abdomen, muscular weakness, [|osteoporosis], high [|blood sugar], and high blood pressure.
 * **Diabetes Insipidus**: decreased production of [|ADH] by the hypothalamus; patient’s kidneys don’t conserve water and concentrate urine; patient is thirsty and has frequent, dilute urination.
 * **Nelson’s Syndrome**: may result when both adrenal glands are removed as part of the treatment for Cushing’s Disease; a pituitary tumor develops that produces ACTH and can cause darkening of the skin due to increased production of melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH).
 * **Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1 (MEN1)**: an inherited genetic mutation that increases the risk of developing tumors in the pituitary and in other endocrine glands.
 * **Kallman’s Syndrome**: deficient release of GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) leads to lack of FSH and LH production; causes delayed or absent puberty; associated with no sense of smell; occurs only in males.
 * **Pituitary Infarction**: restricted blood supply to the pituitary gland; may cause gland tissue damage and lead to hypopituitarism.
 * **Sheehan’s Syndrome**: the pituitary gland increases in size during [|pregnancy]; can cause pituitary infarction when there is an acute drop in blood pressure.
 * **Craniopharyngioma**: the most common tumor that develops close to the pituitary gland in children; benign but may put pressure on the pituitary, causing hypopituitarism, headaches, visual disturbances, and delayed growth.

=Parathyroid Disorders= URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/parathyroiddisorders.html

Most people have four pea-sized glands, called parathyroid glands, on the thyroid gland in the neck. Though their names are similar, the thyroid and parathyroid glands are completely different. The parathyroid glands make parathyroid hormone (PTH), which helps your body keep the right balance of calcium and phosphorous. If your parathyroid glands make too much or too little hormone, it disrupts this balance. If they secrete extra PTH, you have hyperparathyroidism, and your blood calcium rises. In many cases, a benign tumor on a parathyroid gland makes it overactive. Or, the extra hormones can come from enlarged parathyroid glands. Very rarely, the cause is cancer. If you do not have enough PTH, you have hypoparathyroidism. Your blood will have too little calcium and too much phosphorous. Causes include injury to the glands, [|endocrine disorders] or genetic conditions. Treatment is aimed at restoring the balance of calcium and phosphorous