Multidisciplinary approach to diagnostics of diseases of endocrine glands. Literatue review

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), endocrine gland disorders have reached the scale of a non­­­­communicable epidemic in the 21st century. Diabetes mellitus is considered one of the most serious contemporary challenges for healthcare systems worldwide, including in Ukraine. According to the latest estimates by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF, 2021), there are approximately 537 million people living with diabetes globally, and this number is projected to increase to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045. In Ukraine, various estimates suggest that more than 1.2 million people are affected by type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Another pressing area of modern endocrinology involves the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of thyroid gland diseases, whose prevalence has significantly increased following several large­­­­scale technogenic disasters. Disorders of the endocrine glands affect all organ systems, including the skin. Dermatological manifestations of endocrine disorders can range from common signs—such as acanthosis nigricans, pretibial myxedema, acne, hirsutism, and hyper­­­­ or hypopigmentation—to rare symptoms, including miliaria rubra, calciphylaxis, lentigo, and skin calcinosis. Some symptoms are pathognomonic for specific endocrine disorders (for instance, necrolytic migratory erythema in patients with glucagonoma), while most dermatological manifestations are nonspecific and require careful evaluation. Furthermore, in certain endocrine diseases, cutaneous involvement constitutes part of the diagnostic criteria (for example, in multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1). Conversely, skin lesions may substantially impact patients’ quality of life. In many cases, patients initially seek medical attention from dermatologists or primary care physicians due to isolated cutaneous symptoms. It is therefore crucial for clinicians to recognize extraendocrine manifestations as potential indicators of underlying endocrine disorders to enable prompt diagnosis and effective treatment. The aim of this study was to review the literature (1994—2024) on the multidisciplinary approach to diagnosing endocrine gland disorders, with special attention to their dermatological manifestations.