Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders

Oversecretion of growth hormone in adult produces acromegaly.

When levels of cortisol secreted by adrenal cortex increase in blood, a rare condition called Cushing's syndrome occurs indicated by weight gain, fragile skin and rounded face.

Graves disease is due to hypersecretion of thyroxine.

Calcium level is controlled by calcitonin of thyroid and parthormone of parathyroid.

Gigantism and acromegaly result from hypersecretion of growth hormone.

AIDS virus can spread through body fluids, which include blood, semen (reproductive fluid of males containing sperms and nourishing materials), vaginal mucus, milk, etc. But it cannot be transmitted by skin to skin contact as in a handshake. Options (1), (2) and (3) refer to the methods in which one or the other body fluid is exchanged and hence they lead to AIDS infection.

Goitre is an enlargement of the thyroid gland, which is most commonly caused by a deficiency of iodine in the diet. Iodine is a critical component of thyroid hormones.

Adrenal virilism is the development of male secondary sex characteristics caused by male sex hormones called androgens, excessively produced by the adrenal gland. Conn's syndrome is a disease of the adrenal glands involving excess production of a hormone, called aldosterone.

The deficiency of vasopressin causes diabetes insipidus.

Hashimoto's disease is a disorder in which antibody destroys the thyroid.

Diabetes insipidus is caused by hyposecretion of vasopressin.

Goitre is caused by the deficiency of iodine.

This is associated with serious infection due to neisseria such as meningitis.

Thyrotoxicosis is an over-active thyroid condition in which an autoantibody to the TSH receptor mimics TSH and so, increases thyroid hormone production and increases the metabolic rate.

90% of patients have ICA at diagnosis but these autoantibodies gradually disappear; < 10% of patients have them 5 years after diagnosis.