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Neurologists and internists have need for up-todate knowledge of pituitary function and treatment, not only for management of bona fide endocrine disorders of this gland, but also in view of the increasing use of pituitary ablation or stalk section in the therapy of hormone-dependent neoplasms (breast and prostate) and diabetic retinopathy. Patients with spontaneous or induced hypopituitarism can, with the help of enlightened medical guidance, manage their multiple endocrine deficiencies with relative ease, even in the event of severe intercurrent stress. Several of the contributors to this symposium on pituitary disorders summarize their experience in the treatment of pituitary deficiency in clear and readily applicable fashion. Special emphasis is given to the urgent need for additional steroid administration to patients faced with acute medical or surgical problems; recognition of this need can be life-saving.
Other contributors are concerned with the treatment of tumors associated with acromegaly or Cushing's syndrome. In