Gigantism

Table 4Kevin Knox, Kaley Miller,

Hailey Ray, Ashley Spaulding

Causes

• Excess of growth hormone (Acromegaly)

• Most commonly: Noncancerous(adenoma) tumor of the pituitary gland

• Carney complex

Symptoms

• Pretty big people (usually two standard deviations above normal height should be)

• Delayed puberty• Double vision or difficulty with side vision• Bulging forehead• Headaches• Increased sweating• Irregular periods (females)• Large hands and feet with large fingers and toes• Release of breast milk• Thickening of facial features• Weakness

Possible solutions

• Removal of tumor on pituitary through endonasalsurgery (through nose)

• Medications that reduce growth hormone release such as somatostain analogs

• Dopamine aganoists but they are the least effective

• Radiation therapy can be used to bring the growth hormone level back to normal but it take 5 to 10 years to take full effect and often effects other pituitary hormones

Exams and Tests

• CT or MRI scans

• Failure to suppress serum growth hormone (GH) levels after an oral glucose challenge (maximum 75g)

• High prolactin levels

• Increased insulin growth factor-I (IGF-I) levels

Miscellaneous

• Female to male ratio of 1:2 (twice as common in males)

• Commonly occurs with Acromegaly

• App