South African Doctors Hospitals Medical - Human Diseases and Disorders

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List of Endocrine Diseases

Endocrine diseases are disorders of the endocrine system. The branch of medicine associated with endocrine disorders is known as endocrinology.

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Types of endocrine disease
Broadly speaking, endocrine disorders may be subdivided into three groups:

Endocrine gland hyposecretion (leading to hormone deficiency)
Endocrine gland hypersecretion (leading to hormone excess)
Tumours (benign or malignant) of endocrine glands

Endocrine disorders are often quite complex, involving a mixed picture of hyposecretion and hypersecretion because of the feedback mechanisms involved in the endocrine system. For example, most forms of hyperthyroidism are associated with an excess of thyroid hormone and a low level of thyroid stimulating hormone.

Diagnosis of endocrine diseases
Diagnosis of endocrine diseases may be difficult; it is often not possible to directly assay hormone levels in the blood, making indirect measurements necessary. For example, diabetes mellitus is diagnosed via measurements of blood glucose rather than direct assays of plasma insulin; Cushing's syndrome is diagnosed by the dexamethasone suppression test rather than by direct assays of serum.