Acromegaly: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Acromegaly, also referred to as hyperpituitarism, is a condition in which the growth hormone is produced in larger than normal quantities. In this condition, the size of the bones of hands, feet and face increase in size and this is why this condition is often referred to as gigantism. The condition occurs equally in men and women, generally in the age group between 30 and 50 years.

Causes: In general cases, the main source of the hypersecretion of the growth hormone is a pituitary tumor or an adenoma. Since the pituitary is the gland that is responsible for the secretion of hormones that stimulate specific organs to produce hormone like thyroid hormones, Prolactin, etc, the functioning of other organs may also be affected. Acromegaly is hard to diagnose in early and as a result, the growth hormone is hypersecreted for a prolonged period. In some rare cases, the condition may also result from tumors of the adrenal glands, lungs and pancreas.

Symptoms: The hypersecretion of the Growth Hormone by the pituitary leads to the enlargement of the bones, muscles, cartilages, organs and tissues. Some symptoms of the condition include thick, oily, coarse skin, enlarged lips, tongue and nose, snoring while sleeping due to the obstruction of the upper airway and deepening of voice because of the increase in size of the vocal cords and sinuses. A person suffering from Acromegaly may also show symptoms like headaches, weakness, fatigue, excessive sweating and body odor and impaired vision. In women, it may also lead to breast discharge and disruptions in the menstrual cycle. In men, it could cause impotence. Acromegaly is also known to cause hypertension, diabetes, and increased chances of getting a cardiovascular disease. The disease has a very insidious onset and progresses very slowly.

Treatment: The most common means of treating Acromegaly is radiation therapy which might be used as a primary treatment or it may be combined with drugs and surgery. The therapy is given in doses that are given over a period of four to five weeks. With the help of radiation therapy, the Growth Hormone levels in the patient's body can come down by around 50% in a period of 2-5 years. However, the downside of this medication is that the production of other hormones by the pituitary are affected negatively. Brain injury and vision losses are two other risks that are related with radiation therapy. Surgery is also done in order to remove the adenoma in order to restore the pituitary to its normal condition.

If the primary surgery fails, then for complete remission induction, dopamine and somatostatin analogues along with Growth Hormone-Receptor antagonists are given to the patient. The main aim of treatment for Acromegaly is to bring the pituitary gland to function normally such that it produces normal quantities of the growth hormone. Also, in order to control the symptoms, medication is administered and dietary sodium is restricted, i.e., a diet that is low in salt is provided.