Controversies in Clinical Thyroidology

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Man's natural instinct, in fact, is never toward what is sound and true. It is toward what is specious and false . . . The ideas that conquer the race most rapidly and arouse the wildest enthusiasm and are held most tenaciously are precisely the ideas that are most insane. This has been true since the first 'advanced' gorilla put on underwear, cultivated a frown and began his first lecture tour, . . . " H. L. Mencken, from Meditation On Meditation in the Smart Set, June, 1920 pp 45-46 In our opinion there is no field of clinical medicine in such a state of dynamic disequilibrium as clin­ ical thyroidology. Thyroid diseases are very common. The moderately complex but easily understandable physiological interrelationships between the thyroid, pituitary and hypothalamus have provided stimuli for the application of mod­ ern technology in the development of an array of diagnostic procedures. Although therapeutic methods have been more stable, and recent advances more limited, their application by phy- Joel I. Hambufl~er. M. D. sicians representing different disciplines has pro­ vided an ample basis for the expression of differ­ ing viewpoints. Unfortunately there are few opportunities for in-depth exploration of different attitudes and experience relevant to issues of current interest. The review process employed by medical journals often seems to stifle the expression of controver­ sial viewpoints.