Learn About Acromegaly

What is the definition of Acromegaly?

Acromegaly is a condition in which there is too much growth hormone (GH) in your body.

What are the alternative names for Acromegaly?

Somatotroph adenoma; Growth hormone excess; Growth hormone secreting pituitary adenoma; Pituitary giant (in childhood)

What are the causes of Acromegaly?

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 controls, 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.

What are the symptoms of 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
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What are the current treatments for Acromegaly?

Surgery to remove the pituitary tumor that is causing this condition often corrects the abnormal GH. 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.

Who are the top Acromegaly Local Doctors?
David W. Newman
Endocrinology
Endocrinology

Sanford Medical Center Fargo

2400 32nd Ave S, 
Fargo, ND 
 49.0 mi
Accepting New Patients
Offers Telehealth

David Newman is an Endocrinologist in Fargo, North Dakota. Dr. Newman and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acromegaly. His top areas of expertise are Pituitary Tumor, Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), Hyperparathyroidism, and Obesity in Children. Dr. Newman is currently accepting new patients.

Sanford Medical Center Fargo

1220 Sheyenne St, 
West Fargo, ND 
 46.9 mi
Offers Telehealth

Soamsiri Niwattisaiwong is an Endocrinologist in West Fargo, North Dakota. Dr. Niwattisaiwong and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acromegaly. Her top areas of expertise are Hypoparathyroidism, Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), Thyroid Nodule, and Thyroid Cancer.

 
 
 
 
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Endocrinology
Endocrinology

Sanford Medical Center Fargo

2400 32nd Ave S, 
Fargo, ND 
 49.0 mi
Accepting New Patients
Offers Telehealth

Raul Ruiz-Esponda is an Endocrinologist in Fargo, North Dakota. Dr. Ruiz-Esponda and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acromegaly. His top areas of expertise are Hypercalcemia, Familial Hypocalciuric Hypercalcemia Type 1, Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), and Thyroid Nodule. Dr. Ruiz-Esponda is currently accepting new patients.

What are the support groups for Acromegaly?

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/
What is the outlook (prognosis) for 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.

When should I contact a medical professional for Acromegaly?

Contact your provider if:

  • You have symptoms of acromegaly
  • Your symptoms do not improve with treatment
How do I prevent Acromegaly?

Acromegaly cannot be prevented. Early treatment may prevent the disease from getting worse and help to avoid complications.

What are the latest Acromegaly Clinical Trials?
Pasireotide as Maintenance Treatment With Monthly Deep Intramuscular Injection in SSTR2/3/5-Expressing Synovial Sarcoma and Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor

Summary: PAMSARC is a non-commercial interventional Phase 2 clinical trial of academic research institutions, with its primary goal being to improve medical treatment of fusion driven Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) and Synovial sarcoma (SySa) in young adults and adolsecents with male predominance. Current management of DSRCT and SySa includes chemotherapy, radiation and aggressive cytoreductiv...

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An Open-Label Phase 3 Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Pegvisomant in Children With Growth Hormone Excess

Background: For children with gigantism, too much growth hormone (GH) in the body causes abnormal growth and many other problems. Current treatments often don t work; no medical treatment is approved by FDA. Researchers want to see if the drug pegvisomant can help.

Who are the sources who wrote this article ?

Published Date: May 12, 2023
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.

What are the references for this article ?

Biondi B. Endocrine disorders and cardiovascular disease. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 96.

James WD, Elston DM, Treat JR, Rosenbach MA, Neuhaus IM. Endocrine diseases. In: James WD, Elston DM, Treat JR, Rosenbach MA, Neuhaus IM, eds. Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 24.

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.