Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Cystic lesions of the pituitary region are quite common but present a challenge for diagnosis and treatment. Several types of cystic lesion are recognized, including cystic pituitary adenomas, Rathke cleft cysts, arachnoid cysts, and craniopharyngiomas. The clinical symptoms and diagnosis of these lesions, and the use of endoscopy for surgical intervention, are discussed in this Viewpoint.
Current approaches to treat type 1 diabetes mellitus can be divided into three categories: insulin therapy, cell-based therapy and modification of the autoimmune process associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Comparing the benefits, risk and challenges of insulin therapy and cell-based therapy, the author of this Viewpoint discusses the prospects for these two therapeutic approaches.
The gut hormone ghrelin is a putative signal of energy balance. In addition, ghrelin might act as a pleotrophic modulator of reproductive function. The experimental and clinical data that support a role for ghrelin in the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis are summarized by the author of this Review.
As genetic and imaging techniques advance, more is becoming known about the nature of various fetal disorders. Some of these disorders may be treated, with varying degrees of success, through the mother. This Review presents information particularly on fetal adrenal and thyroid disorders and discusses the various management approaches and their related risks and outcomes.
The prevalence of central hypothyroidism is unknown, but might be greater than reported. This disorder may arise from a variety of causes, from tumor-related hormonal disturbances, to mechanical problems related to traumatic brain injury, to being induced by drug therapy. This Review presents an overview of etiologies, diagnosis and management.
This article describes a patient with Cushing syndrome presumably attributable to an adrenocortical carcinoma arising from testicular adrenal rest cells. The authors discuss treatment options for adrenocorticotropic hormone-independent hypercortisolism and highlight the difficulties in determining the origin of ectopic cortisol production.
