Endocrinology and Diabetology Endocrinology is an area of internal medicine that is concerned with the functions and illness disorders of hormone-producing organs. Endocrinological illnesses relate in particular to the following organs: • pituitary gland (hypophysis) • thyroid gland and parathyroid gland • suprarenal • pancreas • sexual glands (ovaries and testicles) The fields of duties of an endocrinologist embrace occurrence and frequency, diagnosis and non-surgical forms of therapy for hormonal illnesses. In addition to this the endocrinologist advises patients as to prophylactic measures. The main focus is on illnesses of the thyroid gland such as thyroid gland over-functioning or under-functioning, Addison's disease and Cushing's disease, malfunctioning of the sexual glands (ovaries, testicles), diabetes mellitus and osteoporosis. Further illnesses are overweight (obesity), disorders of the lipid metabolism and malignant and non-malignant hormone-producing tumours. In endocrinology the doctor, with the help of a patient history (anamnesis), can diagnose a clinical investigation and various methods of examination, such as laboratory values, the hormones in the blood and urine, imaging procedures (e.g. ultrasound, computer tomography and magnetic resonance tomography) the wide variety of endocrinological illnesses. Endocrinological illnesses require careful and individually co-ordinated therapies. top