Pediatric endocrinology

Endocrinology is a branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the endocrine glands i.e. organs that produce and secrete hormones into the bloodstream. Hormones are substances that are produced and secreted by endocrine glands into the bloodstream and thus impose effect on distant from their location tissues and organs. The endocrine glands are:

• The hypothalamus
• The pituitary gland
• The thyroid
• The parathyroid
• The adrenals

Patients usually visit to the endocrinologist’s office because:

• Disorders of growth (children)
• Disappearing or lack of sexual characterisitics
• Lack of lactation after giving birth
• Amenorrhea
• Disorders of puberty
• Eating disorders
• Thirst disorders
• Disorders of thermoregulation, intolerance to heat or cold
• Enlargement of the thyroid (goiter)
• Nodular lesions of the thyroid
• Increased sweating
• Nervousness
• Staring/bulging eyeballs
• Weakness
• Sleepiness
• Physical exercise intolerance
• Growth of the face, hands or feet after the normal growth period
• Hair disorders (alopecia how hirsutism)