Pseudo-Endocrine Disorders: Recognition and Management
Michael T McDermott, MD
University of Colorado Hospital
Disorders of the endocrine system are common in clinical practice and generally have well validated diagnostic tests and evidence-based treatments that are proven to be safe and effective. Largely due to the Internet, there has been a proliferation of proposed but not validated conditions involving the endocrine system with unproven diagnostic criteria and non-evidence-based and sometimes dangerous treatment recommendations. To highlight some of the most prominent conditions and potentially dangerous treatments, we will discuss adrenal fatigue, Wilsons syndrome, reverse T3 syndrome, low testosterone in men and women without diagnostic testing, and low-dose naltrexone therapy. We will also discuss other conditions that are commonly misdiagnosed as disorders of the endocrine system such as pseudo-Cushing’s syndrome, pseudo-pheochromocytoma, and Hashimoto’s encephalopathy