The distribution of hormones throughout the human body results in presentations of endocrine disease that are diffuse and variable. Although some endocrine syndromes result in characteristic sets of symptoms and features, most patients experience a limited number of components of the syndrome and may note symptoms that are not typically syndromic. This review discusses presentations of endocrine diseases and the endocrine patient. Specific attention is given to endocrine testing, which can be achieved by measuring the hormone itself, stimulating or suppressing a hormone feedback loop, or measuring peripheral hormone receptor function. The chronic care relationship is explored as many patients with endocrine diseases require extended chronic care to achieve control of abnormal hormonal systems. The dependency on chronic care necessitates that endocrinologists develop particular expertise in managing illnesses over the long term. Tables list hormones and their associated syndromes, clusters of contrasting symptoms and signs of over- and underactivity of the thyroid and adrenal glands, approaches to endocrine testing and treatment, and variability in selected hormone concentrations over time. Figures show diagnostic criteria related to hypercalcemia, growth hormone deficiency, acromegaly, and adrenal incidentaloma. The chronic care model is also represented.
This review contains 4 highly rendered figures, 4 tables, and 12 references.
On the existence of linear Pfaff systems with lower characteristic sets of positive Lebesgue m-measure