Endocrine disorders may have an important influence on fertility, the course of a pregnancy and fetal development. For example, fertility is decreased and the risk of miscarriage is increased in women with autoimmune disorders, such as Addison's disease or autoimmune thyroiditis. Treatment of endocrine diseases in many cases has to be adapted during the course of a pregnancy. In patients with Addison's disease the dosage of hydrocortisone necessarily has to be increased. This is also valid for the time of delivery. Disorders of the thyroid gland are of great importance during pregnancy. If hypothyroidism is diagnosed in early pregnancy, immediate treatment with levothyroxine should be initiated. Iodine supplementation is strongly recommended in all pregnant and breast-feeding women. Treatment of Graves's disease will be performed during the first trimenon with propylthiouracile, afterwards with methimazole (thiamazole). In contrast, thyrotoxicosis due to hCG should not be treated with methimazole. In this paper, we present an overview on the most important endocrine disorders during pregnancy.
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