A total of 138 male body builders who regularly attended a gym participated anonymously in a study of the use of anabolic-androgenic steroids in relation to side-effects, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI; kg m-2), training frequency, social background, occupation, knowledge and attitudes to steroid use. Fifty-three of the 138 body builders had used anabolic-androgenic steroids for a median duration of 2 years. Steroid use was linked to a higher BMI and more frequent training. Seventy-five per cent (n = 18) of those attending body building for competition, and 24% (n = 11) of those attending to improve their sense of well-being, used anabolic-androgenic steroids. Of all body builders, 94% considered anabolic-androgenic steroids to be dangerous. Of the users, 81% experienced side-effects, but 74% still intended to continue steroid medication.

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The incidence of recurrence and of hypothyroidism was determined in all new patients treated for thyrotoxicosis during the period 1970-1974 in an unselected, well-defined urban population. A total of 309 patients were followed up for a median time period of 108 (1-192) months. There was a cumulative incidence of 51% recurrence in patients who were treated with antithyroid drugs for Graves' thyrotoxicosis, whereas after surgery or radioiodine treatment there were few recurrences, but 32% and 78% cumulative incidences of hypothyroidism. There were no recurrences after surgery or radioiodine treatment in patients with toxic multinodular goitre or solitary toxic adenoma, but 29% and 40% cumulative incidences of hypothyroidism following radioiodine treatment. Late hypothyroidism occurred after surgery for Graves' thyrotoxicosis, and in all groups treated with radioiodine. Thus it is advisable that all patients with Graves' thyrotoxicosis, regardless of treatment, and all patients with toxic multinodular goitre or solitary toxic adenoma treated with radioiodine, should be followed up for many years, and probably for life.

Factors influencing the result of various forms of surgical treatment for pheochromocytoma were studied in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia IIA (MEN IIA) syndrome. The material consisted of 18 patients belonging to 4 non‐related families operated on during 1966–1981 with a mean follow‐up time of 7.4 years. Twenty‐seven adrenals were removed at 22 operations. In all adrenals, multiple pheochromocytomas and/or medullary hyperplasia were present. In 13 patients the first operation was a unilateral adrenalectomy. Four of these had to be reoperated on because of recurring or persisting symptoms. Five patients were operated on bilaterally at the first instance. In 4 of these, the reason was bilateral macroscopic tumor involvement. Various pre‐ and intraoperative findings were evaluated with respect to the surgical result. The maximum diameter of the largest tumor was the only factor relating positively to surgical success with unilateral operation. Of 9 patients who remained asymptomatic following unilateral adrenalectomy, 8 had tumors less than 5 cm in diameter. The 4 patients who had to be reoperated on with a contralateral adrenalectomy all had a maximum tumor diameter exceeding 5 cm. A pragmatic approach to the problem of timing and extent of adrenal surgery in MEN IIA is advocated. Clinical, biochemical, histopathological, genetic, and social dimensions of the disease should be taken into consideration when choosing the surgical procedure.

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Oral whisky is a potent stimulus of calcitonin secretion. Peak increments of immunoreactive calcitonin are observed within 15 min after the ingestion of 50 ml of whisky; the magnitude of the response is similar to that observed during a four-hour calcium infusion. This procedure has several advantages over standard methods of stimulating calcitonin release in patients at risk of developing medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, and this is shown by a study in a large family with familial chromaffinomatosis.

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