AcromegalySymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Acromegaly
Acromegaly is a condition in which there is too much growth hormone (GH) in your body.
Somatotroph adenoma; Growth hormone excess; Growth hormone secreting pituitary adenoma; Pituitary giant (in childhood)
Acromegaly is a rare condition. It is caused when the pituitary gland makes too much GH. The pituitary gland is a small endocrine gland attached to the bottom of the brain. It regulates, makes, and releases several hormones, including GH.
Usually, a noncancerous (benign) tumor of the pituitary gland releases too much GH. In rare cases, pituitary tumors can be inherited.
In children, too much GH causes gigantism rather than acromegaly.
Symptoms of acromegaly may include any of the following:
- Body odor
- Blood in the stool
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Decreased muscle strength (weakness)
- Decreased peripheral vision
- Dental problems, gaps between the teeth
- Easy fatigue
- Enlarged tongue
- Excessive height (when excess GH production begins in childhood)
- Excessive sweating
- Headache
- Heart enlargement, which can cause fainting or shortness of breath
- Hoarseness
- Jaw pain
- Joint pain, limited joint movement, swelling of the bony areas around a joint
- Large bones of the face, large jaw and tongue, widely spaced teeth
- Large feet (change in shoe size), large hands (change in ring or glove size)
- Large glands in the skin (sebaceous glands) causing oily skin, thickening of the skin, skin tags (growths)
- Sleep apnea
- Widened fingers or toes, with swelling, redness, and pain
Other symptoms that may occur with this disease:
- Colon polyps
- Excess hair growth in females (hirsutism)
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Thyroid enlargement
- Weight gain
Surgery to remove the pituitary tumor that is causing this condition often corrects the abnormal GH level. Sometimes, the tumor is too large to be removed completely and acromegaly is not cured. In this case, medicines and radiation (radiotherapy) may be used to treat acromegaly.
Some people with tumors that are too complicated to remove by surgery are treated with medicines instead of surgery. These medicines may block the production of GH from the pituitary gland or prevent the action of GH in other parts of the body.
After treatment, you will need to see your provider regularly to make sure that the pituitary gland is working normally and that acromegaly does not come back. Yearly evaluations are usually recommended.
Allegheny Endocrinology Associates PC
Murray Gordon is an Endocrinologist in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Gordon is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acromegaly. His top areas of expertise are Acromegaly, Hypertrichosis-Acromegaloid Facial Appearance Syndrome, Acromegaloid Facial Appearance Syndrome, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), and Thyroidectomy.
USC Brain Tumor Center
Gabriel Zada, MD, MS, FAANS is Professor of Neurological Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and a nationally recognized leader in brain tumor and skull base surgery. He serves as Surgical Director of the USC Brain Tumor Center, Co-Director of the USC Pituitary Center and Radiosurgery Center, and Vice Chair of Education for the Department of Neurosurgery. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Neurosurgical Focus, an international open-access journal of the Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group.Dr. Zada specializes in minimally invasive and endoscopic approaches to complex brain, pituitary, and skull base tumors and has performed more than 3,000 cranial operations during his career. His NIH-funded research program focuses on the genomics and epigenetics of brain and pituitary tumors, advancing precision medicine approaches in neurosurgical oncology.A prolific scholar, Dr. Zada has authored over 350 peer-reviewed publications and several textbooks in neurosurgery. Based on independent academic impact and expertise metrics, FindExpertMD ranks him the #1 neurosurgeon in California for multiple tumor (pituitary, meningioma) and skull base conditions and among the top neurosurgeons globally. Dr. Zada is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acromegaly. His top areas of expertise are Pituitary Tumor, Hypothalamic Tumor, Brain Tumor, Endoscopic Transnasal Transsphenoidal Surgery, and Gamma Knife Radiosurgery.
University Andrology Lab LLC
Maria Fleseriu is an Endocrinologist in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Fleseriu is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acromegaly. Her top areas of expertise are Acromegaly, Cushing's syndrome, Cushing's disease, Acromegaloid Facial Appearance Syndrome, and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
More information and support for people with acromegaly and their families can be found at:
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases -- www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/acromegaly
- National Organization for Rare Disorders -- rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/acromegaly/
Pituitary surgery is successful in most people, depending on the size of the tumor and the experience of the neurosurgeon with pituitary tumors.
Without treatment, the symptoms will get worse. Conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease may result.
Surgery and radiation treatment may lead to low levels of other pituitary hormones. This can cause any of the following conditions:
- Adrenal insufficiency (adrenal glands do not produce enough of their hormones)
- Diabetes insipidus (extreme thirst and excessive urination in rare cases)
- Hypogonadism (body's sex glands produce little or no hormones)
- Hypothyroidism (thyroid gland does not make enough thyroid hormone)
Contact your provider if:
- You have symptoms of acromegaly
- Your symptoms do not improve with treatment
Acromegaly cannot be prevented. Early treatment may prevent the disease from getting worse and help to avoid complications.
Summary: There is a variety of tumors affecting the pituitary gland in childhood; some of these tumors (eg craniopharyngioma) are included among the most common central nervous system tumors in childhood. The gene(s) involved in the pathogenesis of these tumors are largely not known; their possible association with other developmental defects or inheritance pattern(s) has not been investigated. The present...
Summary: The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of 15-week treatment with ALXN2420 versus placebo for decreasing insulin-like growth factor IGF-1 levels, when administered in combination with somatostatin analog (SSA) therapy to adult participants with acromegaly.
Published Date: April 24, 2025
Published By: Sandeep K. Dhaliwal, MD, board-certified in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, Springfield, VA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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Katznelson L, Laws ER Jr, Melmed S, et al. Acromegaly: an Endocrine Society clinical practice guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014;99(11):3933-3951. PMID: 25356808 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25356808/.
Lebovitz HE. Hyperglycemia secondary to non-traditional diabetic conditions. In: Robertson RP, ed. DeGroot's Endocrinology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 35.
Melmed S, Casanueva FF. Pituitary adenomas and masses. In: Melmed S, Auchus RJ, Goldfine AB, Rosen CJ, Kopp PA, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 15th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 7.
Weiss RE. Anterior pituitary. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 205.