The relationship between the pituitary gland and other endocrine organs has long been a subject of study. This is especially true in regard to the relationship between the pituitary and the thyroid, since the latter is often readily visible and palpable in the neck and since the syndromes produced by hyperactivity and hypoactivity of that gland are well recognized.
In acromegaly, thyromegaly and thyrotoxicosis often coexist to complicate the therapeutic problems as well as the prognosis of the pituitary disorder. Moreover, the clinical picture of disease of these two endocrine organs may be additionally confused by the simultaneous dysfunction of other endocrine glands, notably the pancreatic islet cells. Bothe5 aptly summarized the status of this problem when he wrote: "The greater our experience is in this field the more difficult it becomes to analyze the symptoms and physical findings to determine the number of these glands that are contributing