Thyroid Disease in Clinical Practice

Abstract

Thyroid diseases are common. They indude hyper- and hypothyroidism, enlargement of the gland both diffuse and nodular, solitary nodules both benign and malignant, in- flammatory diseases, rare congenital defects in structure and inborn errors in function. Many are simple to diagnose and treat, others are not. The literature often com- plicates rather than simplifies issues. My in- tention is to use personal experience, the teaching of others and distillation of the literature as the basis for a text which will allow the physician to deal with specific, patient-related problems. The first four chapters are general. There are short chap- ters on the structure and function of the thyroid followed by a review of tests. The fourth chapter is an outline of dinical eva- luation, but this is no way substitutes for personal experience at the bedside or in the dinie. The chap