Acromegaly

What is acromegaly?

Acromegaly is a hormonal condition that occurs when the pituitary gland releases an excessive amount of growth hormone during maturity.

Symptoms

Acromegaly is characterised by enlargement of the hands and feet. Acromegaly can also result in progressive changes to the form of your face, including thicker lips, an expanded nose, a projecting lower jaw and brow bone, and wider tooth spacing. Other symptoms include coarse, oily, thickened skin, excessive sweating, and body odor, small outgrowths of skin tissue (skin tags), fatigue and joint or muscle weakness. Pain and limited joint mobility, a deepened, husky voice due to enlarged vocal cords and sinuses, severe snoring due to obstruction of the upper airway, vision problems, headaches, which may be persistent or severe, menstrual cycle irregularities in women, erectile dysfunction in men, and loss of interest in sex.

Diagnosis

Acromegaly frequently manifests its symptoms very slowly over several years which complicates diagnosis. Healthcare professionals make a diagnosis using medical history, a complete clinical assessment, and specialized blood tests such as IGF-1 measurement, growth hormone suppression test, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Treatment

Surgery, medical, and radiation therapy are the most often used therapies for acromegaly. Medical therapy includes medications that lower hormone levels (dopamine agonists), inhibit the function of growth hormone (growth hormone antagonists), and diminish growth hormone synthesis (somatostatin analogs).