Acromegaly is when high levels of growth hormone cause bones and soft tissues to grow more than they should.
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Acromegaly is a disorder that starts when a tumor in your pituitary gland makes too much growth hormone during adulthood. This leads to an increase in bone size, specifically of the hands, feet, and face.
Since symptoms can occur over time, and not all at once, acromegaly is often misdiagnosed.
Gigantism and acromegaly are serious health issues.
Gigantism is when growth hormone hypersecretion begins in childhood or adolescence, before growth plates close in the long bones (arms and legs). People with gigantism may be tall or obese, and their hands and feet may grow in a way that is not normal. They may also have coarse facial features.
In acromegaly, the secretion of too much growth hormone occurs in adulthood. It happens most often between ages 20 and 50, after the bony growth plates close. People with acromegaly may notice growth in their face or hands, even though changes are throughout the body.
Acromegaly happens most often when a tumor forms in the pituitary gland. But an injection of growth hormone can also cause acromegaly.
Middle-aged adults are most at risk for getting acromegaly, but it can form at any age.
When tumors that over-produce growth hormone form in children or adolescents, before their growth plates close, they have gigantism, not acromegaly. The hormone causes them to grow much taller than normal.
Complications of acromegaly may include:
Some acromegaly complications can also be life-threatening, such as:
Signs and symptoms of acromegaly may include:
If you are having acromegaly symptoms, it is crucial to talk to your doctor so they can decide the best treatment plan for you.
To diagnose acromegaly, your doctor will:
Blood tests will measure the hormones the pituitary gland makes, such as growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I), and other pituitary hormones.
Your doctor might also order:
Without treatment, acromegaly can cause serious health problems and may be fatal.
The goal of treatment is to:
Based on your symptoms, UPMC's neurosurgical team may suggest both surgical and nonsurgical treatments.
For most cases of acromegaly, the best treatment is to remove the pituitary tumor (adenoma) causing the high levels of growth hormone.
The best surgical treatment for acromegaly is the Endoscopic Endonasal Approach (EEA) to remove the pituitary tumor. This state-of-the-art, minimally invasive approach lets surgeons access the pituitary tumor through your nose, without making an incision. Surgeons also remove the pituitary tumor through the nose and nasal cavities.
Surgeons will leave and explore the normal pituitary gland and structures around it, like the arteries, veins, and nerves. They will also check for other lesions and remove any tissue that is not normal.
Pros of EEA include:
Other needed treatments, such as radiosurgery or medicine, can begin soon after EEA surgery.
Gamma Knife radiosurgery is a technique that uses highly focused radiation beams to target tumors and lesions in the brain. There is no incision or pain involved.
For acromegaly, our neurosurgeons use the Gamma Knife for:
As the nation's leading provider of Gamma Knife techniques, UPMC has treated more than 12,000 people with tumors, vascular malformations, pain, and other functional problems.
Our neuroendocrinologists, who specialize in diagnosing and treating pituitary tumors, may prescribe medicine to:
People with acromegaly should follow up on a regular basis with a neuroendocrinologist. Your doctor will screen you for side effects from the excess growth hormone and to make sure your symptoms do not recur.
By UPMC Editorial Staff. Last reviewed on 2024-10-01.
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