Endocrinology

Endocrine diseases, but especially thyroid gland diseases, are constantly on the rise.

The endocrinology department focuses particularly on thyroid diseases, providing comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic solutions.

It only takes a few hours to get an imaging scan, a cytological diagnosis and treatment directions.

General overview

The endocrine system is the body system responsible for controlling a variety of bodily functions, such as reproduction, metabolism, composition of extracellular fluids, etc. Generally, the endocrine system plays a dominant role in maintaining the body’s homeostasis, i.e. maintaining the stability of the internal environment of the body.

Control of the various functions is carried out by the secretion of appropriate hormones from specific organs called endocrine glands. The main endocrine glands in the body include the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands, the pancreas, and the gonads (testicles in the male genital system) and ovaries or ducts (in the female genital system).

For the secretion of hormones, the endocrine system works with the nervous system. On the occurrence of the appropriate stimulus, the nervous system instructs the endocrine system to secrete the appropriate hormone. The release of hormones can be continuous, periodic or in waves. A case of periodic hormone secretion is the hormones of the reproductive system.

The endocrine system is controlled through a mechanism of negative feedback. Via this mechanism, the increase in the concentration of the secreted hormone inhibits further secretion. This mechanism is divided into a direct and an indirect regulation system.

Endocrine hormones

Pituitary gland hormones

The pituitary gland is an endocrine gland located in the brain that secretes nine different hormones. The pituitary gland is divided into the neurohypophysis and the adenohypophysis. Usually there’s an intermediate area called the intermediate lobe or pars intermedia. The following hormones are secreted from the adenohypophysis: the thyrotropic hormone that controls the thyroid gland, the corticotropic hormone that controls the adrenal glands, the growth hormone that controls the bones, the gonadotropins that control the testicles and ovaries, and prolactin that controls the female mammary glands. The neurohypophysis secretes oxytocin, which controls the uterus, and vasopressin, which controls the kidneys.

Thyroid gland hormones

The thyroid gland is an endocrine gland found in the neck of mammals. It secretes the thyroxine and triodothyronine. These hormones affect many body functions and are necessary for the proper function of other hormones. One of the main physiological effects of thyroid hormones is an increase in metabolism and thermogenesis.

Parathyroid gland hormones

The parathyroid gland is located on the posterior side of the thyroid. It secretes the parathormone, a hormone which regulates the plasma calcium level by increasing its concentrations, and calcitonin which is an antagonist to parathormone and decreases blood calcium levels

Adrenal gland hormones

Adrenal glands are endocrine glands that lie above the kidneys. Adrenal glands produce glucocorticosteroid hormones, as well as adrenaline and noradrenaline, both of them being catecholamines. The most significant glucocorticosteroid hormone is cortisone; this hormone enhances the gluconeogenesis process. Adrenaline plays a role in the rapid mobilization of the body’s energy reserves.

Pancreatic hormones

The pancreas is an endocrine gland that produces the insulin hormone and its antagonistic hormone glucagon. Insulin is secreted when there is increased glucose concentration in the body and it helps metabolize it. Conversely, glucagon is secreted when the glucose concentration is low and its role is to stimulate the degradation of glycogen in the liver.

1 and 2 Pituitary gland, 3 Thyroid gland,.
4. Thymus, 5. Adrenal glands,
6. Pancreas , 7. Ovaries, 8. Gonads

When should I visit an endocrinologist?

In short, whenever you experience a hormonal problem!

However, one should particularly take into account that hormonal problems occur when the endocrine glands do not function properly.

Although the range of endocrine diseases is very wide, the list below contains some of the directly rated conditions.

Acne – Hypertrichosis
Menstrual disorders (adolescence, adult women and their menstruation)
Adolescence disorders (early or delayed puberty)
Physical development disorders (e.g. stature)
Calcium disorders
Menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy
Osteoporosis
Thyroid diseases
Diabetes mellitus (children, adolescents and adults)
Infertility (male and female)
Hypercholesterolaemia

Apart from diagnosing and treating, an endocrinologist is able to help you prevent these conditions and that’s because their clinical practice is largely guided by laboratory tests, more extensively than other specialties, as in many cases only laboratory testing can reveal a disorder that may show few clinical symptoms or signs.