Carlotta, a 29-year-old new mother, was relating to her pediatrician, Dr. O’Farrell, about how exhausting the demands of caring for a new baby can be: “I’m hot and bothered and irritable about small things.” Dr. O’Farrell countered, “Some irritability is to be expected – especially if you’re not getting much sleep.” “She’s always complaining about how warm the house is, and she’s lost weight”, her husband Robert exclaims. After hearing of Carlotta’s concerns, Dr. O’Farrell did a quick exam of her neck, heart rate (92/min resting), and body temperature (99.9˚F) and noticed that her thyroid gland was enlarged. He also noticed that her eyes looked outwardly bulged. “I’m sending you to the endocrinologist, Dr. Mazer, to get checked out and get some blood work.” The results of the lab work are: Thyroxine (T4): 19.5 ug/dL Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH): 0.1 mlU/L Iodine Levels: 20 ug/dL 1. Which part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid pathway is malfunctioning? Explain your reasoning.
Carlotta, a 29-year-old new mother, was relating to her pediatrician, Dr. O’Farrell, about how exhausting the demands of caring for a new baby can be: “I’m hot and bothered and irritable about small things.” Dr. O’Farrell countered, “Some irritability is to be expected – especially if you’re not getting much sleep.” “She’s always complaining about how warm the house is, and she’s lost weight”, her husband Robert exclaims. After hearing of Carlotta’s concerns, Dr. O’Farrell did a quick exam of her neck, heart rate (92/min resting), and body temperature (99.9˚F) and noticed that her thyroid gland was enlarged. He also noticed that her eyes looked outwardly bulged. “I’m sending you to the endocrinologist, Dr. Mazer, to get checked out and get some blood work.” The results of the lab work are:
Thyroxine (T4): 19.5 ug/dL
Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH): 0.1 mlU/L
Iodine Levels: 20 ug/dL
1. Which part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid pathway is malfunctioning? Explain your reasoning.
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