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PubMed1980

Superiority of bromocriptine over pyridoxine in the treatment of patients with acromegaly or galactorrhea.

Sixteen patients, eight with acromegaly and eight with galactorrhea, were treated with pyridoxine (600 mg/day) for a three-month period. The clinical and biochemical changes induced by the drug were compared with those induced by bromocriptine (2.5 to 50 mg/day) administered for the same length of time to the same patients. Pyridoxine induced lowering of growth hormone and prolactin levels in two acromegalic patients. In only one patient with galactorrhea after irradiation of the hypophysis for active acromegaly did pyridoxine treatment stop and galactorrhea and induce renewal of menstrual bleeding without significantly changing the basal prolactin levels. In another patient with a chromophobe adenoma of the hypophysis, it reduced the excessively elevated prolactin levels. On bromocriptine therapy, all the patients reported signifcant clinical improvement paralleled by significant drops in plasma growth hormone and prolactin. It appears that at the dosages administered bromocriptine is preferable to pyridoxine in the treatment of patients with acromegaly or galactorrhea.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1980

Myxomatous degeneration and cystic medial necrosis associated with acromegaly.

Although valvular lesions are rare in acromegaly, two patients with click-murmur syndrome and one patient with aortic insufficiency secondary to myxomatous degeneration and cystic medial necrosis of the aorta have been reported. Growth hormone excess has been postulated to potentiate these connective tissue defects. Excess mucopolysaccharide deposition is stimulated by growth hormone and is characteristic of both cystic medial necrosis and myxomatous degeneration. Both lesions are found in experimental lathyrism, which is potentiated by growth hormone. We observed a patient with mitral insufficiency, acromegaly documented by growth hormone levels, myxomatous degeneration of all four cardiac valves, and cystic medial necrosis of the aorta and pulmonary artery. This case presents further evidence that excess growth hormone may potentiate the connective tissue cardiovascular lesions in acromegaly.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1995

[Diabetic ketoacidosis as the first manifestation of acromegaly].

Diabetes mellitus is a frequent manifestation in patients with acromegaly and it can show up even before the latter manifests. Typically, the diabetes mellitus in these patients does not tend to develop ketosis. We present the case of a patient hospitalized due to diabetic ketoacidosis associated to a perianal abscess. Diabetes mellitus type I was rejected and the presence of insulin-resistance was verified. She required insulin therapy just for three months. The clinical, hormonal and radiological evaluation showed, three years latter, the presence of a hypophyseal tumor producing growth hormone. After performing a trans-sphenoidal adenomectomy, the insulin-therapy could be removed with a normal glycemic profile. This case of acromegaly demonstrates the relationship between growth hormone and glucose metabolism. It can be considered that the ketoacidosis was the first manifestation of the acromegaly, which is exceptional.

Abscess↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Sleep apnoea in acromegaly--prevalence, pathogenesis and therapy. Report on two cases.

It has long been known, that irregular, heavy snoring and daytime sleepiness are common features of acromegaly. Only recently has the high incidence (30-60%) and clinical relevance of the sleep apnoea underlying these symptoms been recognized. Both diseases have a group of common symptoms and prognostic features: Increased cardiovascular and respiratory mortality, elevated incidence of hypertension, daytime sleepiness, decreased vitality, headaches and depression. These are very prominent in sleep apnoea and often reversible under treatment. In acromegaly their etiology has been widely unexplained and they commonly persist even when human growth hormone (hGH) levels remain normal after operative treatment. We report on 2 patients presenting with excessive daytime sleepiness and severe obstructive sleep apnoea caused by acromegaly. Both had macroglossia and hypertrophy of hypopharyngeal tissues regressive after surgical therapy. The average hGH-levels were 20 and 31 ng/ml before and 3 and 1.7 ng/ml several months after operation respectively. Apnoea indices and minimal oxygen saturations (SO2) were 59/h and 55/h, and 60% and 58% initially and improved postoperatively to 40/h and 50/h, and 72% and 70%. Polysomnographic parameters were normalized by NCPAP-therapy pre- and postoperatively and daytime sleepiness improved dramatically. In one patient the NCPAP-pressure could be decreased postoperatively. Since patients with sleep apnoea have an increased perioperative risk of hypoxia and because transsphenoidal operation and postoperative nasal tamponade were performed, both patients were tracheostomized perioperatively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1993

[Treatment of acromegaly with sustained-release lanreotide. A new somatostatin analog].

The recovery of acromegaly is not obtained in about 50 percent of cases treated with radiotherapy and/or transsphenoidal surgery. Somatostatin analogs prescribed in such cases are effective but need either several subcutaneous injections a day or continuous infusions with pumps. Long-acting formulations of the new somatostatin analog lanreotide should avoid such drawbacks. Nine acromegalics, not cured by pituitary surgery (associated with radiotherapy in 7) received on IM injection of a long acting formulation of lanreotide twice a month for one year. Basal evaluation included: clinical examination, routine analyses, gall bladder ultrasonography, hormonal investigation of pituitary function including GH and IgF-1 measurements, visual field evaluation and pituitary scanning. A similar evaluation was performed on months 6 and 12 of treatment. The clinical symptoms of acromegaly progressively improved during therapy. Plasma GH levels decreased significantly (P < 0.01) from 24.2 +/- 2.1 to 9.3 +/- 1.2, 6.4 +/- 1.4 and 7.9 +/- 1.1 micrograms/l on months 3, 6 and 12, respectively. Plasma IgF-1 levels were normalized, decreasing from 676 +/- 40 to 331 +/- 30, 350 +/- 36, and 317 +/- 29 ng/ml on months 3, 6 and 12, respectively. Plasma lanreotide levels remained stable throughout the treatment. Side-effects included slight and transient diarrhoea and abdominal cramps which disappeared after 6 months of treatment. No gallstones appeared during treatment. These results show that one injection, twice a month, of a long-acting formulation containing 30 mg lanreotide is able to control the evolutivity of acromegalies not cured by pituitary radiotherapy and/or transsphenoidal surgery. Such formulations are well tolerated and avoid the drawbacks of either several subcutaneous injections a day or continuous infusions of somatostatin analogs.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1976

Prolactin concentrations in patients with acromegaly: clinical significance and response to surgery.

Basal serum prolactin and growth hormone (GH) concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay in forty patients with acromegaly. GH concentrations were elevated in all patients studied before treatment and prolactin levels were raised in seven of twenty-six patients. Of the thirty-two patients reviewed after treatment (which in most cases was transsphenoidal hypophysectomy) twenty-five had GH concentrations below 5 ng/ml and twenty-nine had normal prolactin levels. In eighteen patients hormone measurements were made both before and after hypophysectomy: though GH levels fell in all but one, prolactin fell in only six patients. They were not significantly changed in eleven patients. There was no correlation of GH and prolactin either before or after surgery. Seven patients had greatly elevated prolactin levels and in four of these there was evidence of upward extension of a pituitary tumour on air encephalogram (AEG). Only one patient with a normal prolactin level had an abnormal AEG. Two patients with elevated prolactin concentrations and normal AEGs had a parallel fall of prolactin and GH in response to surgery. Four of the five hyperprolactinaemic men complained of loss of libido: in three gonadotrophin concentrations before and after treatment were normal. We conclude that there is no overall correlation of GH and prolactin levels in patients with acromegaly. Seven of twenty-six untreated patients (27%) had hyperprolactinaemia. We suggest that in these patients a raised prolactin level may be due either to interference with the normal inhibitory control mechanism of prolactin by suprasellar extension or, more rarely, to secretion of both GH and prolactin by the tumour itself. A high prolactin concentration may be the cause of the impotence of which some patients with acromegaly complain.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1994

Octreotide in the management of active acromegaly due to inoperable growth hormone-secreting adenoma.

Active acromegaly displays high morbidity and mortality. It should be treated aggressively with surgery, radiotherapy and medical therapy. In order to confirm the effectiveness and tolerability of octreotide in refractory acromegaly, we studied six patients after unsuccessful transsphenoidal surgery, or surgery and conventional radiotherapy performed for pituitary macroadenomas. After nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and hormonal studies, they were submitted to octreotide therapy (100 micrograms subcutaneously every eight hours), reevaluated every six weeks for six months, and followed-up for further six months. A clear reduction of subjective symptoms including headache was noticed. Two patients, however, suffered from recurrent malaise and reduced octreotide doses (one case, who also developed cholelithiasis), or refused to continue the treatment. GH and IGF-I levels were normalized (1 patient), improved (3 patients) or unmodified (2 patients). Not every acromegalic patient responds to low-dose octreotide therapy with normalization of GH levels. In selected cases, however, octreotide may be usefully employed for active acromegaly in support of surgery and radiotherapy.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1993

[A preliminary study of insulin resistance in essential hypertension, simple obesity and acromegaly].

Plasma glucose and serum insulin during OGTT were measured in 33 patients with essential hypertension, 17 patients with simple obesity, 19 patients with acromegaly and 10 normal adults. Compared with control, serum insulin concentration increased in 33 patients with essential hypertension at 3 hour postload (P < 0.05) and in 17 patients with simple obesity at 1 hour postload (P < 0.05) during OGTT, 19 patients with acromegaly also had their insulin concentration increased at 1.3 hour postload (P < 0.05) during OGTT. The correlationships between diastolic blood pressure and integrated area under the curve for serum insulin concentration (r = 0.3838, P < 0.05) were observed in 33 patients with essential hypertension. Serum insulin concentration decreased in 10 patients with essential hypertension at 1 and 2 hour postload during OGTT after antihypertensive treatment with captopril or captopril plus hydrochlorothiazide. The results indicated that the patients with essential hypertension, simple obesity and acromegaly are insulin resistant and hyperinsulinemic after an oral glucose load.

Acromegaly↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The treatment of acromegaly].

Acromegaly is a rare disease which can significantly reduce life expectancy. Clinical features are diverse and the patient may consult a variety of medical and surgical specialists before the diagnosis is suspected. However, the disease is easily confirmed by the appropriate laboratory tests, namely GH and IGF1 measurements. In most cases, acromegaly is secondary to a micro or macrosomatotrope pituitary adenoma. Those lesions are easily visualized by a pituitary CT Scan or Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Visual fields have to be evaluated by a neuro-ophthalmologist, and a thorough evaluation of other pituitary functions have to be performed. Selective removal of the adenoma by the transsphenoidal route is the treatment of choice for acromegaly. When performed by an experienced neurosurgeon, normalization of GH secretion can be expected in approximately 75% of cases. The surgical outcome is modulated by the volume, the extension of the tumor and the preoperative GH level. Octreotide, radiotherapy or bromocriptine are indicated whenever the patient remains with an elevated level of GH with persistency of symptoms.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1995

[Successful treatment of splenomegaly and anemia by VP therapy in idiopathic myelofibrosis complicated with acromegaly: a case report].

Here we report a 65-year-old male patient with idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF) accompanied with acromegaly. He was admitted because of anemia and splenomegaly. No favorable effects were observed when hydroyurea was administered. However, his symptoms were successfully treated by administration of vincristine and prednisolone (VP therapy), which is usually applied for choronic myelogenous leukemia in the accelerated phase. Therefore, VP therapy might be one possible for IMF. Since there have been several reports suggesting the possible association of hematological malignancies with acromegaly, we speculate that acromegaly was implicated in the initiation or progression of IMF in this case.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1996

[Coronary artery bypass grafting for ischemic heart disease associated with acromegaly: a case report].

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for ischemic heart disease associated with acromegaly has never been reported in Japan, though coronary artery sclerosis is known as complicating factor in acromegaly. A 44-year-old man with ischemic heart disease was admitted to our hospital and emergency percutaneous transluminal coronary recanalization was performed. After admission, he was diagnosed as acromegaly from endocrinological studies and operated on CABG. The peri- and post-operative course was uneventful in spite of our fear for complications due to acromegalic heart muscle disease.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1996

Use of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-binding protein-3 in the diagnosis of acromegaly and growth hormone deficiency in adults.

The goal of our study was to compare the clinical usefulness of plasma insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) (with and without binding protein extraction) and IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) measurements in the diagnosis of growth hormone (GH) disorders in adults. IGF-I and IGFBP-3 concentrations were measured in 25 acromegalic and 25 GH-deficient adult (GHDA) subjects (20-76 years) by comparison to a control population (n = 81) after age and sex stratification. In untreated acromegaly, IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were clearly increased (10 times the mean of controls for unextracted IGF-I, 4 times for extracted IGF-I and 2 times for IGFBP-3). Using the mean + 2SD of the control population as the cut-off point, the sensitivity of IGF-I for the diagnosis of acromegaly was higher than that of IGFBP-3 (unextracted IGF-I: 96% and extracted IGF-I: 100% vs IGFBP-3: 76%). In GHDAs, IGF-I and IGFBP-3 were decreased (34% of the mean of controls for unextracted IGF-I, 37% for extracted IGF-I and 70% for IGFBP-3). Using the mean - 2SD of the control population as the cut-off point, the sensitivity of IGF-I measurement for the diagnosis of GHDA was relatively low, but better for unextracted (68%) than for extracted IGF-I (52%). The sensitivity of IGFBP-3 was much lower (36%), thus invalidating this parameter for the diagnosis of GHDA. Our observations demonstrate that IGF-I measurement is a more powerful tool than IGFBP-3 measurement for the diagnosis of GH disorders in adults. Both IGF-I and IGFBP-3 are very useful for the diagnosis of acromegaly, but they are less reliable for diagnosing GHDA, as normal IGF-I or IGFBP-3 values do not rule out GH deficiency.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1996

Differential presentation of cortical and trabecular peripheral bone mineral density in acromegaly.

Growth hormone (GH) has been suggested as a therapeutic tool for the treatment of osteopenia. To assess the differential influence of growth hormone on cortical and trabecular bone, bone mineral densities (BMD) of the ultradistal radius were determined in 18 men and 19 women with clinically and biochemically confirmed acromegaly using peripheral computed tomography and a specialized scanner (Stratec XCT 900). The results were expressed in equivalents to hydroxyl-apatite (mg/ccm) and compared with the BMD of healthy controls (17 men, 34 women). Cortical bone mineral density was significantly higher in acromegalic women (295.2 +/- 18.4, X +/- SEM) and men (339.4 +/- 21.2) compared to healthy women (243.0 +/- 12.8) and men (272.2 +/- 15.9). In contrast, trabecular BMD did not differ between acromegalic patients (men: 161.0 +/- 16.1; women: 116.5 +/- 10.5) and controls (men: 158.0 +/- 12.2; women: 134.1 +/- 6.3). Acromegalic women showed a significant correlation between insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) expression and cortical BMD, whereas in acromegalic men GH levels correlated significantly with cortical BMD. Greatly increased serum osteocalcin levels in both, acromegalic men (15.5 +/- 3.3 ng/ml) and women (12.9 +/- 1.8) compared to controls (men: 6.7 +/- 1.7; women: 7.7 +/- 1.0) indicates the activation of osteoblastic bone formation. This study revealed an increase in cortical BMD at the forearm; in acromegalic patients; though trabecular BMD did not differ from controls. The differential mineralization of cortical and trabecular bone in acromegaly may be indicative of the detrimental effect accompanying pituitary insufficiency can have on trabecular bone, despite substitution therapy, but could also be due to different reactivity of cortical and trabecular bone to GH and/or IGF I. The observable increase of bone mineral density in acromegaly suggests a potential use for GH in treating osteoporosis.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1997

Acromegaly: the significance of serum total and free IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-3 in diagnosis.

We have studied the physiological and clinical relevance of measurements of serum total and free IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) in 57 previously untreated patients with active acromegaly (32 males, 25 females; mean age 47 years) as compared with sex- and age-matched normal healthy controls. Serum total and free IGF-I, but not IGFBP-3, are suitable biochemical parameters for screening for acromegaly. In acromegalics, the mean 24 h serum GH, total IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels tend to decrease with age. However, in our series of patients, mean 24 h serum GH levels, IGFBP-3, total and free IGF-I do not correlate with disease activity in acromegaly.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1997

Growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I and its binding proteins in the follow-up of acromegaly.

Elevated growth hormone is a cardinal feature of acromegaly from the biological view point. Growth hormone stimulates IGF-I secretion and that of its major binding protein IGFBP-3. In these circumstances, where hyperinsulinaemia is present, IGFBP-1 levels, which are inversely related to insulin, are suppressed. Failure of suppression of growth hormone after oral glucose (> 2 mU/l (1 microgram/l) is the cardinal biochemical feature of acromegaly. IGF-I values at diagnosis are almost invariably raised. There is some overlap in the value of basal IGFBP-3 between normal subjects and acromegalics. For monitoring purposes, growth hormone values, either basal or during the day are useful. There is overlap in the values of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 between normal subjects and patients on treatment. Prognosis in acromegaly is determined by persistent elevation of growth hormone levels above 5 mU/l (2.5 micrograms/ l). More data are required for the prognostic use of IGF-I.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed1997

[Clinical picture, diagnosis and therapy of acromegaly patients in Eastern and Western Germany].

Acromegaly, a chronic disease characterized by an excessive secretion of growth hormone (GH), is not commonly diagnosed timely enough. Therefore, investigations have been conducted through standardized questionnaires concerning the path to diagnosis, clinical data, therapy, and the patient care of 46 acromegalic patients. The acquired information has been compared in the former Eastern and Western German states. The mean duration of disease before diagnosis was estimated to be 6.1 +/- 5.3 years in the area surrounding Erlangen and 9.3 +/- 7.3 years in the Leipzig and Dresden areas. Despite current trends, a significant difference could not be established regarding the age in which the first symptoms are noted, time of diagnosis, and the delay between the two points in time General practitioners have diagnosed about 35 percent of the occurrences of acromegaly, 15 percent of the cases were accidentally found and about as many were discovered in hospitals. 11 percent of the occurrences were diagnosed by neurologists and another 11 percent by internists. The remaining cases were established by eye specialists. ENT departments, orthopedic specialists or gynaecologists. The most frequent symptoms are increased acral growth, coarse facial features and excessive sweating. For 91 percent of the acromegaly patients, surgery was voted as the therapy of choice. Acromegalic patients have learned the most about their disease through personal contact with doctors, especially endocrine specialists. Many patients are not informed enough about the possible complications of their disease. Through gathered data, it has been concluded that in Eastern and Western Germany the disease has not been identified soon enough. Interdisciplinary teamwork among doctors is a basis for early diagnosis, as well as better patient awareness and education.

Acromegaly↗
PubMed2001

Acromegaly and the risk of cancer.

Recent studies suggest that acromegaly might predispose to an increased risk of benign and malignant neoplasms, thus influencing the final outcome of the disease. The exact mechanism of neoplastic events in acromegaly has not been completely clarified. Several studies indicate an autocrine-paracrine role for growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in the proliferation of normal and neoplastic cells. The paper reviews the results of molecular, clinical and epidemiological data supporting a role for GH-IGF-I action in colon, prostate, breast and lung carcinogenesis inpatients with acromegaly.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The reliability and validity of the impact on lifestyle questionnaire in patients with acromegaly.

OBJECTIVES: Treatments for acromegaly, a growth hormone disorder, can be burdensome to patients, often requiring multiple self-administered injections daily. We developed the Impact on Lifestyle Questionnaire (ILQ) to measure the impact on patient's lifestyle imposed by the burden of injectable treatments for acromegaly. The primary objective of this study was to establish the reliability and validity of the ILQ. METHODS: The ILQ consists of the SF-12 and 30 additional questions. Thirty-four patients, from two sites, completed the ILQ and scales measuring related concepts. Fourteen patients also completed a retest survey 4 weeks later. Survey sample data were combined with ILQ data from another 56 patients with acromegaly for a factor analysis. Reliability was assessed with Cronbach's alpha and test-retest. Zero-order correlations were examined between ILQ subscales and symptoms, depression, SF-12 mental and physical components, a measure of self-care burden, appraisal of illness, and single-item measures of quality of life and satisfaction. RESULTS: The preconceived subscale structure was supported by factor analysis. These factors were internally consistent and stable over time. Good convergent validity was demonstrated between the Burden and Disruption scales with other measures of the burden of treatment. Patients indicated that they were generally compliant with therapy, and that treatment was not particularly burdensome or disruptive. Results based on the ILQ were consistent with other scales and qualitative responses. CONCLUSIONS: The ILQ has three subscales, Burden, Lifestyle Disruption, and Compliance, that are reliable and demonstrate preliminary evidence of construct validity.

Journal Article↗