Publisher's Synopsis
The pituitary is the master gland controlling the whole endocrine system. Despite high success rates with surgery and radiotherapy, many patients still lose some or all pituitary function and spend the rest of their lives receiving replacement therapy. Some replacement hormones are well-established, but there are still debates over the ideal therapeutic regimen. Other pituitary hormones, such as growth hormone, have only recently been identified as being necessary to consider for replacement in adults as well as children.;This volume, the first in an annual series, brings together many leading clinical research specialists to discuss the current state of knowledge in the diagnosis and treatment of pituitary insufficiency. The contributors cover the subject comprehensively, starting with the pathophysiology and then progressing to deal with each type of insufficiency: adrenocorticotrophin; thyrotrophin; gonadotrophin (male and female); vasopressin; and somatrophin.
