Abstract
The endocrine system has a central and integrative role in maintaining whole body homeostasis in humans. Therefore, endocrine disorders consequently affect other organs, such as the digestive system. Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as swallowing disorders, abdominal pain, diarrhea or obstipation are common clinical problems in the general practice. Besides primary gastroenterological causes, such as achalasia, gastrointestinal malignancies or chronic inflammatory bowel disease, endocrine disorders have to be ruled out when searching for the correct diagnosis. Hyperparathyroidism or endocrine pancreatic tumors, for example, can be the cause for fulminant diarrhea. The correlation of endocrine and gastroenterological diseases can also be found in the associations of papillary thyroid carcinoma with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), multiple endocrine neoplasia with Hirschsprung’s disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis with celiac disease and chronic atrophic gastritis. Knowledge of these associations seems not only clinically important for establishing a correct diagnosis but also has consequences in the follow-up of patients, for example the diagnosis of medullary thyroid malignancy may precede the diagnosis of FAP and vice versa.
Translated title of the contribution | Endocrine disorders and the gastrointestinal tract: What consequences are possible? |
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Original language | German |
Title of host publication | Gastroenterologe |
Number of pages | 7 |
Publication date | 07.2011 |
Pages | 285-291 |
ISBN (Print) | 1137701005 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 07.2011 |