Hormonal and metabolic diseases
Endocrinology
At Tays, we study and treat diseases of hormone-producing organs. These include, for example, diseases of the thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, pituitary gland, adrenal gland and testicles, diabetes, metabolic diseases and osteoporosis. We are also responsible for organ-based diagnosis and treatment of severe eating disorders, as well as diabetic foot therapy.
The majority of patients with diabetes, hypothyroidism, a thyroid nodule, fat metabolism disorders and osteoporosis are studied and treated in health centres.
Tays treats patients whose disease or symptom diagnosis requires endocrinological special expertise, such as combination treatment for hypothyroidism and new osteoporosis medications, advanced laboratory or gene diagnostics or nuclear medicine or interprofessional collaboration with e.g. surgeons, gynaecologists, ophthalmologists or nephrologists.
We treat, for example, diabetics with diabetic complicating diseases, insulin pump treatment or some other condition or disease requiring monitoring by Tays.
We are also responsible for the diagnosis and treatment of hyperthyroidism and ophthalmopathy, as well as parathyroid gland, pituitary gland, adrenal gland and testicle diseases, neuroendocrine tumours and multi-tumour syndromes.
The most common endocrinological disease groups treated at Tays include:
- Pituitary gland diseases
- Type 1 diabetes: new-borns, adolescents and pregnant women
- Hyperthyroidism and Basedow syndrome
- Hyperparathyreosis
- Adrenal gland diseases
- Neuroendocrine tumours
Tests and treatment at Tays
Diseases of hormone-producing organs are treated at Tays Central Hospital and Tays Hatanpää, Tays Sastamala and Tays Valkeakoski Hospitals.
A specialist in internal medicine or an endocrinologist at Tays treats endocrinological patients in Tays Sastamala and Tays Valkeakoski Hospitals as well as the health centre of Ylöjärvi when their treatment does not require surgery, nuclear medicine or interprofessional collaboration. These patients include, for example, type 1 diabetics, as well as thyroid and osteoporosis patients requiring an endocrinologist's assessment.
In diagnosis, we use hormone measurement from blood and urine samples, and sometimes different kinds of tests to assess hormone production. Moreover, imaging studies are often necessary, such as a MRI of the pituitary gland, a CT of the adrenal glands, broad gamma imaging of the parathyroid glands or a full body somatostatin receptor PET CT scan.
We treat the majority of patients at outpatient clinics. Patients receive hormone replacement products, medication controlling the secretion of hormones or progressing of tumours, drugs preventing bone erosion or stimulating new growth, as well as drugs affecting the fat or calcium metabolism.
Approximately 10 % of our patients need treatment in the ward. In the ward, we treat new-born type 1 diabetics and diabetics who have been hospitalised due to acidosis for a period of 1–3 days. Anorectic patients whose life is threatened are treated with nutrition through a nasogastric tube in the ward for 10 days. Treatments preparing for surgery for severe Cushing's and pheochromocytoma begin with a testing and treatment period that lasts 2–7 days.
Tumours in the pituitary gland, adrenal glands, parathyroid glands and thyroid glands are treated with surgery.
Special expertise at Tays
Tays is the only hospital in Finland where adrenal vein catheterisations are done in the diagnosis of primary hyperaldosteronism. We are responsible for these studies in the whole Finland.
We are the first, and so far the only hospital in Finland where our adrenal gland surgeons perform adrenal gland surgeries approaching from the back via the retroperitoneum, which is a procedure that causes the least post-operative problems for the patient. In addition, our surgeon performs pheochromocytoma surgeries so that the adrenal cortex is saved when necessary.
We conduct active and internationally acknowledged research on the effect of hyperthyroidism and its treatments on heart and vascular diseases.
We are pioneers in the development of quality control of endocrinological treatment. In autumn 2015, we began a systematic follow-up for the treatment of pituitary gland patients, and now we have expanded the quality control to all important endocrinological disease groups.
Person in charge
Chief Physician of endocrinology Saara Metso