Gigantism and Acromegaly

Excerpt

Acromegaly and gigantism are disorders of growth hormone hypersecretion. The most common cause is a growth hormone (GH) secreting adenoma in the pituitary gland. Gigantism occurs when growth hormone hypersecretion occurs before the fusion of the long bone epiphysis and is characterized by tall stature. Acromegaly occurs when GH hypersecretion occurs after the fusion of the epiphysis leading to large extremities and characteristic facies. An elevated insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) level establishes the diagnosis. The first line of treatment is surgical excision of the tumor; however, this rarely results in a cure, and further medical treatment with somatostatin analogs or radiation is usually necessary.