Apple fans will be encouraged to hear that the company's iconic CEO Steve Jobs has returned from medical leave. Jobs had been away for several months due to what Apple has described as a "hormone imbalance".

News of Jobs' recent health issues emerged back in January, when several reports suggested the dynamic Apple co-founder was suffering from an undisclosed but perhaps serious medical problem.

Some insiders even worried that Jobs, who most can tell has lost a significant amount of weight, could have been experiencing the return of pancreatic cancer, which sidelined him several years ago. Surgery cleared the condition up, but given his radical weight loss in recent months many began to fear the worst.

Liver Transplant Revitalizes Apple Co-Founder

Officially, the issue has been vaguely described by Apple as a "hormone imbalance". It seems the problem, which was probably much more serious than Apple has led us to believe, was improved significantly when Jobs received a new liver in April after transplant surgery in Tennessee. (Source: reuters.com)

In Jobs' absence, chief operating officer (COO) Tim Cook had taken over day-to-day operations and senior VP of marketing Phil Schiller filled in when it came to those press events typically handled by the company's famous co-founder. (Source: tgdaily.com).

Jobs: Limited Duties, For Now

Jobs' return isn't quite full time, but it should provide a significant boost to the company.

In a statement to Bloomberg News, Apple spokesman Steve Dowling revealed that Jobs had returned to work, but for the immediate future his presence wouldn't exceed "a few days a week," suggesting much of his duties would be carried out from the comfort of home. (Source: cnet.com)

Although Jobs' improvement will almost certainly help Apple's stock, the company has done well in his absence. Apple's popularity is higher than ever with the release of the new iPhone 3GS, sending stock soaring from $85.33 in January (when Jobs announced his leave) to $142.44 as this past week came to a close.