Clinical Services

Endocrinologists treat diseases affecting the metabolism of the human body. These include conditions disrupting the normal function of the thyroid, parathyroids, pituitary, adrenal, hypothalamus, ovaries, testes, and the pancreas, diseases that change the way the body regulates its internal environment. Each of these glands or organs secretes hormones that have effects on the way the body appears, acts, and maintains itself. Endocrine diseases are due to hormonal over- or under-function or tumors.

Patients are often referred to the Endocrine Clinic at UNC for treatment of conditions involving hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland), and thyroid cancer. Endocrinologists don't just treat thyroid conditions, however. Diseases of the pituitary, such as acromegaly (excessive production of growth hormone), Cushings (excess cortisol), or tumors, hypothalamic disease such as diabetes insipidus or excess prolactin, various disruptions of gonadal hormones (e.g. excess hair in women, breast development in men, arrested puberty, polycystic ovary syndrome, amenorrhea), bone disease (such as osteoporosis, rickets and hyperparathyroidism), diseases of the adrenal glands, and of the pancreas, including diabetes mellitus types I and II, are all the care of an endocrinologist.

At the UNC Endocrine Clinic, the doctors specialize in the treatment of general endocrine disorders other than diabetes. All diabetic patients are referred to the Diabetes Care Center.

The Endocrine Clinic at UNC is a subspecialty clinic. That means that the doctors and nurses of Endocrinology are not set up to act as primary family doctors for their patients. It also means that patients can only see an endocrinologist for the first time after being referred by another physician.

If you believe that you have an endocrine disorder and need to see a physician at UNC, you should go to see your primary care physician. If you don't have a primary care physician, the doctors in UNC's Family Medicine Clinic, and in UNC's Department of Internal Medicine can act in that capacity. Your primary care physician can then evaluate your symptoms and make a recommendation to see an appropriate specialist. Once a referral is made, you will need to register with the hospital if you've never been a patient at UNC before. Endocrine appointments are held at the Highgate Specialty Center in Durham.

For follow up appointments, inquiries about appointment times, to reschedule or cancel an appointment, please call the Endocrine Clinic scheduling line at (919) 484 1015.

The UNC Endocrine Clinic and Diabetes Care Center are at 5316 Highgate Drive, Suite 125, Durham, NC 27713. Free drive-up parking is available in front of the building.
Driving directions and map are available Here.