Acromegaly

Specialty Area: Pituitary Center

What is Acromegaly?
Acromegaly is a hormonal disorder that results when the pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone (GH). If left untreated, the overall mortality rate in acromegaly can be about two to four times that of the general population.

What are the symptoms of Acromegaly?
Acromegaly is characterized by an enlarged protruding jaw and spreading of the teeth, often with overbite, enlarged tongue, enlarged, swollen hands and feet resulting in increasing shoe and ring size, coarse facial features with enlargement of the nose and frontal bones.

Additional symptoms may include:

• Severe debilitating arthritic features
• Skin tags
• Excessive snoring
• Excessive sweating often associated with body odor
• Excess facial and body hair growth in women
• Deepening of the voice
• Tingling/numbing sensations of the hands (e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome)
• Diabetes (especially in overweight patients)
• Hypertension

Diagnostic Process
Diagnosis of Acromegaly is based on a patient’s individual symptoms and medical history. The specialists at the Johns Hopkins Pituitary Tumor Center will utilize a number of diagnostic technologies and methods, which may include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a single blood draw, or more complex hormonal, dynamic testing.

Treatment Options
The decision for the best approach to treatment for Acromegaly is made only after a review by the Pituitary Tumor Center’s multi-disciplinary faculty. Depending on the condition and specific factors including the patient’s age, previous medical history and overall health, we may recommend a variety of different treatment options. Sometimes the best course of action is to observe symptoms over time reserving intervention at a later time only if the symptoms worsen. Other times, surgery is needed at the time of diagnosis. In selected cases, medical therapy can control the symptoms.