How much do you know about endocrine pathology? Here’s a little quiz to help you find out. Answers with nice explanations will be posted tomorrow.

1. Which of the following is true of papillary thyroid carcinoma?

A. May have psammoma bodies
B. The least common kind of thyroid carcinoma
C. The type of thyroid carcinoma with the worst prognosis
D. Occurs in patients with MEN II
E. Most common in elderly patients

2. The most common cause of hypothyroidism in underprivileged countries is:

A. Pituitary dysfunction
B. DeQuervain’s thyroiditis
C. Graves’ disease
D. Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
E. Iodine deficiency

3. Which of the following hormones, in addition to participating in the initiation of labor, may play a role in trust, monogamy, and the desire to cuddle?

A. Cortisol
B. Thyroid hormone
C. Parathormone
D. Oxytocin
E. Antidiuretic hormone

4. A patient with Cushing syndrome might present with any of the following EXCEPT:

A. Obesity
B. A buffalo hump
C. Moon facies
D. Bronze or hyperpigmented skin
E. Glucose intolerance

5. Patients with diabetes have an increased risk of all of the following EXCEPT:

A. Cataracts
B. Infections
C. Increased atherosclerosis
D. Peripheral neuropathy
E. Pancreatic carcinoma

6. Which of the following is true regarding multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) I syndrome?

A. Virtually all patients develop medullary thyroid carcinoma
B. The genetic abnormality involves the RET gene
C. The genetic abnormality involves a proto-oncogene
D. Many patients develop parathyroid hyperplasia
E. Some patients may have a Marfanoid habitus

7. Which of the following is true regarding pheochromocytoma?

A. It can cause hypertension
B. It is usually an aggressive, malignant tumor
C. It only occurs in the adrenal gland
D. It is derived from neural crest cells
E. Many tumors have a 1p deletion

8. Which of the following is true regarding Addison’s disease?

A. It is characterized by an overproduction of catecholamines
B. Most cases are due to infection
C. It is also called primary chronic adrenal insufficiency
D. The onset is sudden
E. Patients are often hypertensive

9. You are seeing a 41-year old male who is very tall and has a large jaw. You wonder if he might have acromegaly due to a pituitary adenoma. What laboratory test would be best for making this diagnosis?

A. Insulin-like growth factor level
B. Random serum growth hormone level
C. Prolactin level
D. Hemoglobin
E. Lactate dehydrogenase

10. Your sister is complaining that she is always tired, despite getting enough sleep. You notice that she seems pale, and when you feel her pulse it is quite slow. She also mentions that she can’t stand the cold these days. What two lab tests would be most helpful in diagnosing her condition?

A. FSH and LH levels
B. Free T4 and TSH levels
C. Calcium, phosphate, and parathyroid hormone levels
D.  Insulin-like growth factor and prolactin levels
E. Cortisol and ACTH levels