This handy book offers a complete overview of current minimally invasive techniques for the management of endocrine diseases of the neck, reflecting how, in the past few years, the development of various ultrasound-guided procedures and endoscopic/video-assisted surgical techniques has changed the approach to thyroid and parathyroid diseases. The book opens by describing the main diagnostic tools for thyroid, parathyroid and cervical lymph nodes, focusing especially on the new technologies for tissue characterization. The different minimally invasive treatment procedures involving either a percutaneous approach (ethanol injection, laser thermal ablation, radiofrequency thermal ablation, high-intensity focused ultrasound) or minimally invasive surgery are then described in detail.The volume is intended for all clinicians and surgeons with an interest in the field of endocrinology and neck surgery. It provides a synthetic but clear description of the various available techniques from a technical point of view and discusses the main issues concerning each of them, permitting comparative evaluation in order to identify the best option in a particular case. It also reports the evidence available in the current literature.

Celestino Pio Lombardi is Associate Professor of General Surgery at Università cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Rome. Since 1999, head of the Endocrine Surgery Service, at Policlinico A. Gemelli of Rome and since 2011 head of the Endocrine Surgery Unit of  Gemelli/CIC. His main interest field is Endocrine Surgery especially for what concerns the development of the Video-assisted techniques for thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy. He was among the first surgeons who introduced the retroperitoneoscopic approach to adrenal gland.Author of more than 520 clinical and experimental scientific papers, and author and co-author of more than 45 book chapters, Prof. Lombardi has been Scientific Coordinator and invited speaker at many national and international conferences. He is affiliated to the Endocrine Surgery Italian Society (SIEC), to the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES), to the Italian Society of Surgery (SIC), to the Association Francophone de Chirurgie Endocrinienne (AFCE), to the European Thyroid Association (ETA) to the European Society of Endocrine Surgeons (ESES) and to British Association of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgeons (BAETS).  He is member of the executive board of Endocrine Surgery Italian Society (SIEC), Italian Club of Endocrine Surgery Units (UEC) and Italian Society of University Surgeons (SICU).Rocco Bellantone is Full Professor of Surgery and Dean of the Medical School of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Rome. Director of Institute of Surgical Semeiotics and chief of Department of Endocrine Surgery at the same Institution. His main interest field has been Endocrine Surgery. He developed thetechnique for Video Assisted Thyroidectomy, contributing to spread it worldwide. Furthermore, he introduced in Italy the posterior retroperitoneoscopic approach to adrenalectomy.He's author of about 600 clinical and experimental scientific papers, editor of a book of general surgery and of more than 80 treatise's chapters.  He organized several national and international congresses, and appreciated theoretical-practical course. His name has been inserted in the "Top Italian Scientist" VIA-Academy list.He is affiliated to the Endocrine Surgery Italian Society (SIEC), to the  International Association of Endocrine Surgery (IAES) and to the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES). He has been General Secretary of the Italian Society of Surgery (SIC) and Vice President of the Association Francophone de Chirurgie Endocrinienne  (AFCE). He is president of the Italian Club of Endocrine Surgery Units (UEC).