Metastatic Disease in Endocrine Organs

Abstract

Abstract Endocrine organs are classified into primary and secondary based on whether a hormone-secreting organ synthesizes the relevant hormone(s) as a primary function or not. The prevalence of metastatic malignancy varies in the clinical setting, and recognition of metastatic disease in endocrine organs is important for various reasons. This chapter will focus on metastatic disease in major endocrine organs, including adrenals, pituitary, thyroid and parathyroid glands, from malignancies other than haemato-lymphoid neoplasms. Their presence is best regarded as generalized involvement rather than metastatic spread. Herein, this chapter discusses the prevalence and importance of recognition of metastases in endocrine organs and highlight various aspects of endocrine organ-specific metastatic disease.