Acromegaly
What is it?
Acromegaly is a rare chronic condition with an incidence of 2.8-13.7 cases per 100,000 people, mostly due to a growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary adenoma. The non-specific nature of the onset symptoms of the disease and the often subtle progression of clinical manifestations are frequently responsible for a diagnostic delay that, even today, is around 5-10 years. If not adequately treated, acromegaly determines high risk of major cardiovascular events, neoplasms and fragility fractures.
Which are the symptoms?
- Growth of hands and feet
- Macroglossia
- Dental diastasis
- Prominent frontal bumps
- Macrocheilia
- Nocturnal snoring
- Facial modifications
How is it diagnosed?
The diagnostic suspicion starts from the characteristic signs and symptoms. In the presence of these, the diagnosis will be confirmed by the result of specific biochemical tests (IGF-I and basal GH) as well as dynamic tests (GH curve during OGTT). It is also necessary to perform radiological investigations (MRI with mdc) to confirm the presence of a pituitary adenomatous lesion.
How is it treated?
The treatment of first choice is represented, in the vast majority of cases, by neurosurgical intervention via transnasal sphenoidal route. If the intervention is not decisive, is contraindicated or refused by the patient, it is possible to prescribe different medical therapies with the aim of reducing/normalizing the hormonal hypersecretion, solve the symptoms and, sometimes, determine a reduction of the tumor mass. Finally, there is the possibility of performing conventional radiotherapy (stereotactic radiotherapy) or gamma-knife/cyber-knife treatments.
Where do we treat it?
Our Departments
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