Methods for detection and characterization of episodic fluctuations in circulating hormone levels are frequently used for endocrine investigations, related to the physiological importance of the pulsatile nature of hormone secretion in modulating target-cells response. Several sophisticated methods of pulse analysis have been recently developed and validated, aiming to minimize the false-positive and false-negative error rates. The present report mainly devoted to the clinician aims to analyze and discuss the main features of the most widely used methods for pulse detection.