Your next call is to the home of Mrs. Blanc. As before, you have three witnesses
ID: 88713 • Letter: Y
Question
Your next call is to the home of Mrs. Blanc. As before, you have three witnesses to interview. Witness statements: Ms. Magenta "Between you and me, she's really let herself go. has fat deposits in all of these strange places, like around her face and trunk, and a weird hump on her back. She you ask me, some exercise may do her some good!" Col. Lemon "Not that want to talk about such things, but she's seemed bloated, a bit swollen, lately. She even told me that her blood pressure has gone up!" Ms. Feather: "The poor dear, she been sick so much lately with all kinds of infections. Personally, I think her immune system needs boosting. But my herbal teas don't seem to help." What are your initial thoughts, based upon the witnesses' statements? Does one hormone come to mind that could produce these effects? Your next step is to speak with Mrs. Blanc. During the interview you notice a bottle of pills on her nightstand. You log the pills as evidence and send them off to the lab for a which you know to be a glucocorticoid similar analysis. The lab report shows the pills to be the medication predmisone, to the hormone cortisol. Is his finding si why not? Based upon the witness statements and the laboratory analysis, what is your final diagnosis?Explanation / Answer
Explanation
A. Initial thoughts
Based on the witnesses, the these symptoms are related to hormonal imbalance either hyper or hypo and defect in the pituitary gland.
Hormone responsible for these symptoms
Such symptoms are generally witnessed in patients with excessive production of cortisol (stress hormone) causing the Cushing's disease or syndrome due to detects in the pituitary gland.
The symptoms include weight gain around the face and trunk. Development of hump due to abnormal fat deposits on the back. Weakened immune system with increased risk of infections and high blood pressure.
B. Prednisone - glucocorticoid similar to cortisol
The patient has been found to take Prednisone pills which can cause elevated cortisol levels that might have led to the Cushing's syndrome.
There might be several reasons for one to develop Cushing's syndrome.One such reason is intake of cortisol medications.
This finding is significant as the reason behind the Cushing's syndrome in this patient is relevant by knowing the medication responsible for inducing the same.
C.Final diagnosis
1.Patient is diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome
2. Patient should be given non cortisol medications
3. Seek Pituitary tumor programme.
4. Surgical removal of pituitary adenoma
5. Radiaion therapy
Related Questions
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.