The Pituitary

"[T]he book provides the reader a unique opportunity to understand in depth the mechanisms subserving both normal and disordered pituitary hormone secretion and action. Thus, the book is not only a must for scientists and clinicians usually involved in the management of neuroendocrine dysfunctions but also a great opportunity for other specialists (internists, pediatricians, gynecologists, neurosurgeons) as well as for medical students to familiarize at best with the pituitary and its disorders. In all, this book is a traditional masterpiece dedicated to the ‘‘master gland’’ by one of the most important opinion leaders in the field."--Endocrine

SECOND EDITION:

"This excellent second edition is an update of the highly successful first edition of The Pituitary, published in 1995…All the chapters were written by leading experts in the field; a particularly welcome addition is a chapter dedicated to pituitary surgery, by Fahlbusch and colleagues. All the chapters have been successfully updated, and all are comprehensively referenced. The new edition describes recent developments in medical therapies for acromegaly (and thyrotropin-producing adenomas), especially the role of long-acting forms of somatostatin analogues and new growth hormone-receptor antagonists, as well as newer and more effective dopamine agonists for patients with prolactinoma. Inevitably, availability and licensing are subject to worldwide variations and differences in therapeutic practice. Not all the chapters recognize the differences between the United States and other parts of the world, especially Europe, in the availability of therapies that can be offered to patients with pituitary disease. The chapter on hypopituitarism does not fully address the various ways we can now deliver androgen replacement (and their pros and cons) and still mentions the use of extracts of animal thyroids in managing thyrotropin deficiency. There is an extensive discussion of growth hormone deficiency and its treatment with recombinant human growth hormone, but the sensitive and clinically critical issue of whether this expensive therapy should be prescribed for all adults with growth hormone deficiency or only for selected subgroups is avoided. These minor points should not detract from the view that this is a truly excellent book. It is clearly written, and nearly all of it is easy to read. I believe it is an essential and important textbook for practicing endocrinologists and endocrine scientists, trainees in endocrinology, and those working with endocrinologists in the care of patients with pituitary disease, including pediatricians, surgeons, radiologists, oncologists, and endocrine biochemists. It is a fitting tribute, indeed, to the gland that represents the "conductor of the endocrine orchestra."

-- The New England Journal of Medicine

FIRST EDITION:

"I strongly recommend this book. It fills a void in literature by providing in-depth coverage of the pituitary. The book will serve endocrinologists as a source of information on the various aspects of pituitary disease, blending clinical and basic science into a cohesive and comprehensive story."
-- New England Journal of Medicine, December 1995

"The depth of treatment is impressive throughout and all chapters are highly readable…this book is well worth its price."
-- Journal of Neurosurgery, January 1996