The aim of the Handbook of Diagnostic Endocrinology is to provide a comprehensiveoverview of current approaches to the diagnosis of endocrine disorders.Our ability to diagnose patients with diseases of the endocrine systems isexpanding exponentially with the development of new and more reliable assaymethods and the incorporation of both molecular and genetic approaches intoour understanding of the pathophysiology of these diseases. Although the primaryfocus of this volume is on the diagnosis of endocrine disease, the vastmajority of endocrine diseases require long-term management; therefore, manyof the chapters also discuss approaches to follow-up in these patients.

 

The Handbook of Diagnostic Endocrinology comprises 16 chapters. Immunoassayshave long been the cornerstones of endocrine diagnoses. As an importantbackground, Sabrina Gill, Frances Hayes, and Patrick Sluss discuss themany methodological advances that have expanded our repertoire of diagnostictests. With the increased number of tests available for endocrine evaluation, itis incumbent that we understand the factors that affect assay performance andtheir impact on our ability to use these tools to aid in clinical diagnosis. JosephVerbalis reviews the regulatory mechanisms underlying water and sodiummetabolism and presents a comprehensive approach to disorders of body fluids,which are among the most commonly encountered problems in clinical medicine.Mary Lee Vance outlines the diagnosis and long-term followup of patientspresenting with pituitary tumors, and Lynnette Nieman provides an approach tothe diagnosis and differential diagnosis of Cushing’s syndrome that includes acritical appraisal of available tests. Although endocrine causes of hypertensionoccur in only 10% of hypertensive subjects, this small fraction represents a largenumber of patients. Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Dluhy present a thoughtfuland efficient approach to the diagnosis of these disorders. Anastassios Pittas andStephanie Lee then update the approach to the diagnosis of thyroid disease,including an important discussion of currently available assays. Regina Castroand Hossein Gharib present a cost-effective approach to evaluation of the commonproblem of thyroid nodules and discuss the preoperative evaluation andpostoperative followup of patients with thyroid cancer. Allison Goldfine providesan overview of the diagnosis of the various forms of diabetes and a comprehensivediscussion of long-term monitoring of the primary disease and itscomplications. Robert Ratner reviews the important area of gestational diabetes,both its diagnosis and consequences, and John Service presents a clear approachto the diagnosis of hypoglycemia. William Donahoo, Elizabeth Stephens, andRobert Eckel provide a thorough discussion of the modalities that are currentlyavailable for the assessment of dyslipidemia and obesity. Benjamin Leder andJoel Finkelstein then review calcium metabolism and present a logical approachto the diagnosis of hyper- and hypocalcemia. Patrick Doran and Sundeep Khosladiscuss the spectrum of osteoporosis and an approach to diagnosis and long-termfollowup based on the currently available tools. Margaret Wierman reviews thenormal physiology of the hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular axis and the physiologyof erection, both of which are critical to the approach to evaluation ofhypogonadism and erectile dysfunction. Drew Tortoriello and Janet Hall thendiscuss the physiology of normal menstrual function as a backdrop to theirapproach to the evaluation and long-term followup of women with disorders ofmenstrual function. Ricardo Azziz completes this volume with a practical andfocused discussion of the evaluation of androgen excess in women.

 

 In Handbook of Diagnostic Endocrinology we provide the reader with aconcise approach to the diagnosis of endocrine disorders that is based on anunderstanding of their pathophysiology and includes both clinical manifestationsand the most current laboratory tests available. This work will serve as areference for students and fellows in training as well as an update for practicingendocrinologists and internists.

 

 We thank the contributors to this volume, without whose expertise and effortsthis work would not be possible.

 

 Janet E. Hall, MD

 Lynnette K. Nieman, MD