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Acromegaly Causes and Risks:
Acromegaly, a condition caused by increased secretion of growth hormone after normal growth has been completed, occurs in adults. When excessive secretion of growth hormone occurs in children before normal growth has been completed, it causes gigantism rather than
acromegaly. The cause of the increased hormone secretion is usually a benign pituitary tumor . The pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain, controls the production and release of several different hormones. There are no known risk factors other than prior history of a pituitary tumor. Acromegaly occurs in 6 out of 100,000 people.
Prevention:
No measures exist to prevent the initial condition, but early treatment may prevent any worsening of complications associated with this disease.
Symptoms:
- enlarged hands
- enlarged feet
- widened fingers or toes due to skin overgrowth with swelling , redness, and pain.
- enlarged jaw (prognathism)
- enlarged facial bones
- thickening of the skin
- enlarged sebaceous glands
- hoarseness
- headache
- double vision
- vomiting
- easy fatigue
- excessive sweating
- decreased muscle strength ( weakness )
- motion limitation, or loss of range of motion
- joint pain ( hip pain , knee pain , ankle pain , foot pain , pain over the small joints of the foot, shoulder pain , elbow pain , wrist pain , hand pain, pain over the small joints of the hand, or pain in any other joint)
- carpal tunnel syndrome
- change in face appearance, developed over less than 1 year
- widely spaced teeth
- swelling of the bony areas around a joint
In infants anterior fontanel can remain open for years.
Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
Signs and Tests:
This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:
Treatment:
Microsurgery to remove the pituitary tumor causing this condition corrects the abnormal growth hormone secretion in most patients. This surgery may not be available in isolated locations, so travel to a larger metropolitan area may be necessary for treatment.
Radiation of the pituitary gland is used for people who do not respond to the surgical treatment.
Treatment with the medications bromocriptine or octreotide may control growth hormone secretions in some people. These medicatons can be used as initial treatment if surgery is unavailable or a person is unable to tolerate surgery.
After treatment, periodic evaluation is necessary to ensure the normal functioning of the pituitary gland. Yearly evaluations are recommended.
Prognosis:
Pituitary surgery is successful in up to 90% of patients, depending on the size of the tumor . Radiation therapy alone is successful in up to 70% of patients at reducing symptoms for at least 5 years.
Without treatment the symptoms are progressive, and the risk of cardiovascular disease increases.
Complications:
Call Your Healthcare Provider:
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if symptoms of acromegaly are present, or if symptoms do not improve with treatment.
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