Chapter 3: Who Diagnoses and Treats Thyroid Disease?

The word "doctor" is derived from the Latin docere, which means "to teach." Doctors teach patients about their bodies, how best to care for them, and how to treat them when something goes wrong. Since doctors will be the most important individuals in determining whether patients have thyroid disease, patients should know as much as possible about their doctors.

Many doctors may be involved in the care of patients with thyroid problems. The following is a brief description of physicians with whom thyroid patients may have contact.

Thyroidologists
Thyroidologists are endocrinologists who see, almost exclusively, patients with thyroid disease. There are very few thyroidologists in the United States or worldwide. Almost all thyroidologists have completed fellowships in endocrinology; some have additional training in nuclear medicine. These physicians usually have done some research into the causes or treatment of thyroid disease and generally have accumu­lated experience with a large number of thyroid patients. Most thyroidologists belong to a professional organization called the American Thyroid Association.

Endocrinologists
Endocrinologists study the endocrine (hormone-secreting) glands of the body. These physicians specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the endocrine glands. Examples of endocrine glands, in addition to the thyroid gland, are the pituitary gland, parathyroid glands, adrenal glands, ovaries, testes, and those parts of the pancreas that make insulin. After completing a residency in internal medicine, endocrinologists receive fellowship training in endocrinology, metabolism, and diabetes. There may be advantages for patients with thyroid disease who consult endocrinologists. According to the authors of a 1998 study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, "Early referral of patients with suspected thyroid nodules to an endocrinologist results in significant savings in both cost and patient's time as well as increased precision of diagnosis."