ENDOCRINE PATHOLOGY QUESTIONS
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS [GRADED
A+]
Pituitary adenomas: benign or malignant? - ✔✔benign tumor of anterior
pituitary cells
How do nonfunctional pituitary adenomas present? - ✔✔With mass effect
What is mass effect? - ✔✔1. Bitemporal hemianopsia from compression of
the optic chiasm
2. Hypopituitarism from compression of normal pituitary tissue
3. Headache
©morren2025/2026.Year published 2026.
,How do functional pituitary tumors present? - ✔✔It depends on the
hormone they're producing
How does prolactinoma present in women? - ✔✔galactorrhea and
amenorrhea
How does prolactinoma present in men? - ✔✔decreased libido and
headache
What's the most common type of pituitary adenoma? - ✔✔prolactinoma
How do growth hormone cell adenomas present in children? -
✔✔Gigantism - increased linear bone growth (epiphyses are not fused)
How do growth hormone cell adenomas present in adults? -
✔✔Acromegaly:
1. Enlarged bones of hands, feet, and jaw
2. Growth of visceral organs leading to dysfunction
3. Enlarged tongue
©morren2025/2026.Year published 2026.
,What's an important sequelae of growth hormone cell adenomas? -
✔✔Secondary diabetes mellitus since GH induces liver gluconeogenesis
How are growth hormone cell adenomas diagnosed? - ✔✔By elevated GH
and insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels along with lack of GH
suppression by oral glucose
What is the treatment for growth hormone cell adenomas? - ✔✔Octreotide
(somatostatin analog that suppresses GH release), GH receptor
antagonists, or surgery
What do ACTH cell adenomas lead to? - ✔✔Cushing syndrome
What other rare types of pituitary adenomas are there? - ✔✔TSH cell, LH-
producing, and FSH-producing adenomas
When do symptoms of hypopituitarism arise? - ✔✔When >75% of pituitary
parenchyma is lost
©morren2025/2026.Year published 2026.
, What are some causes of hypopituitarism? - ✔✔1. Pituitary adenomas
(adults) or craniopharyngioma (children) - due to mass effect or pituitary
apoplexy (bleeding into an adenoma)
2. Sheehan syndrome - pregnancy-related infarction of the pituitary gland.
i) Gland doubles in size during pregnancy, but blood supply does not
increase significantly; blood loss during parturition precipitates infarction. ii)
Presents as poor lactation, loss of pubic hair and fatigue
3. Empty sella syndrome - congenital defect of the sella. i) Herniation of the
arachnoid and CSF into the sella compresses and destroys the pituitary
gland. ii) Pituitary gland is "absent" on imaging
Which hormones are released from the posterior pituitary? -
✔✔Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and Oxytocin
They're made in the hypothalamus and transported by axons for release in
the posterior pituitary
What is the function of ADH? - ✔✔It acts on the distal tubules and
collecting ducts of the kidney to promote free water retention
©morren2025/2026.Year published 2026.
WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS [GRADED
A+]
Pituitary adenomas: benign or malignant? - ✔✔benign tumor of anterior
pituitary cells
How do nonfunctional pituitary adenomas present? - ✔✔With mass effect
What is mass effect? - ✔✔1. Bitemporal hemianopsia from compression of
the optic chiasm
2. Hypopituitarism from compression of normal pituitary tissue
3. Headache
©morren2025/2026.Year published 2026.
,How do functional pituitary tumors present? - ✔✔It depends on the
hormone they're producing
How does prolactinoma present in women? - ✔✔galactorrhea and
amenorrhea
How does prolactinoma present in men? - ✔✔decreased libido and
headache
What's the most common type of pituitary adenoma? - ✔✔prolactinoma
How do growth hormone cell adenomas present in children? -
✔✔Gigantism - increased linear bone growth (epiphyses are not fused)
How do growth hormone cell adenomas present in adults? -
✔✔Acromegaly:
1. Enlarged bones of hands, feet, and jaw
2. Growth of visceral organs leading to dysfunction
3. Enlarged tongue
©morren2025/2026.Year published 2026.
,What's an important sequelae of growth hormone cell adenomas? -
✔✔Secondary diabetes mellitus since GH induces liver gluconeogenesis
How are growth hormone cell adenomas diagnosed? - ✔✔By elevated GH
and insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels along with lack of GH
suppression by oral glucose
What is the treatment for growth hormone cell adenomas? - ✔✔Octreotide
(somatostatin analog that suppresses GH release), GH receptor
antagonists, or surgery
What do ACTH cell adenomas lead to? - ✔✔Cushing syndrome
What other rare types of pituitary adenomas are there? - ✔✔TSH cell, LH-
producing, and FSH-producing adenomas
When do symptoms of hypopituitarism arise? - ✔✔When >75% of pituitary
parenchyma is lost
©morren2025/2026.Year published 2026.
, What are some causes of hypopituitarism? - ✔✔1. Pituitary adenomas
(adults) or craniopharyngioma (children) - due to mass effect or pituitary
apoplexy (bleeding into an adenoma)
2. Sheehan syndrome - pregnancy-related infarction of the pituitary gland.
i) Gland doubles in size during pregnancy, but blood supply does not
increase significantly; blood loss during parturition precipitates infarction. ii)
Presents as poor lactation, loss of pubic hair and fatigue
3. Empty sella syndrome - congenital defect of the sella. i) Herniation of the
arachnoid and CSF into the sella compresses and destroys the pituitary
gland. ii) Pituitary gland is "absent" on imaging
Which hormones are released from the posterior pituitary? -
✔✔Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and Oxytocin
They're made in the hypothalamus and transported by axons for release in
the posterior pituitary
What is the function of ADH? - ✔✔It acts on the distal tubules and
collecting ducts of the kidney to promote free water retention
©morren2025/2026.Year published 2026.
