Overview
Person with acromegaly
Person with acromegaly
Symptoms of acromegaly include an enlarged face and hands. Changes to the face may cause the brow bone and lower jaw to jut out, and the nose and lips to get larger.
Acromegaly is a rare condition in adults that causes some bones, organs and other tissue to grow bigger. A small gland in the brain called the pituitary gland drives these changes by making too much growth hormone. This usually happens due to a tumor of the pituitary gland. The tumor isn't cancer.
When the body has too much growth hormone, bones get bigger. In childhood, this leads to increased height as part of a condition called gigantism. In adults with acromegaly, a change in height doesn't happen. Instead, bones in the hands, feet and face become bigger.
These changes happen slowly over many years. So people with acromegaly and their loved ones may take a long time to notice the symptoms. And healthcare professionals may have a hard time finding and treating the condition early on.
Without treatment, acromegaly can lead to other serious and sometimes life-threatening health conditions called complications. But treatments such as surgery, medicine and radiation can lower the risk of complications. Treatment also can improve many acromegaly symptoms.
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Symptoms
Acromegaly symptoms can change the way some body parts look. Changes can include:
- Thick ears and lips.
- A broad nose.
- Enlarged hands and feet.
- A jutting brow or jaw.
- Gaps between teeth.
- An enlarged tongue.
- An expanded rib cage that may cause the chest to have a round shape.
Skin changes can include:
- Acne.
- Harmless skin growths called skin tags.
- Coarse, oily and thickened skin.
- Swelling in the tissue under the skin.
Most often, people with acromegaly don't have every possible body change. And because the changes come on slowly, they may take years to notice. But over time, rings may no longer fit fingers like they used to. Or shoe size may get bigger. Sometimes, people notice the changes only by comparing old photos with newer ones.
Other acromegaly symptoms can include:
- Vision troubles, including loss of side vision.
- More sweating and body odor than is typical.
- Extreme tiredness.
- Headaches.
- Joint pain.
- Deeper voice.
When to see a doctor
Get a healthcare checkup if you think you have symptoms of acromegaly. The condition usually develops slowly. Even family members may take a long time to notice the physical changes that happen. But it's important for a healthcare professional to find the condition as early as possible. Treatment can help prevent serious health conditions that can happen along with acromegaly.
Causes
Pituitary gland and hypothalamus
Pituitary gland and hypothalamus
The pituitary gland and the hypothalamus are in the brain. They make hormones that control many important functions in the body.
The most common cause of acromegaly is a tumor in the pituitary gland. The tumor is called an adenoma. It isn't cancer. But it makes too much growth hormone over a long amount of time.
Too much growth hormone causes many symptoms of acromegaly. Some of the symptoms, such as headaches and impaired vision, are due to the tumor pressing on nearby brain tissues.
Rarely, tumors in other parts of the body cause acromegaly. These include tumors of the lung or pancreas. Sometimes these tumors release growth hormone. Or they make a hormone called growth hormone-releasing hormone. This signals the pituitary gland to make more growth hormone.
The pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain, behind the bridge of the nose. It makes growth hormone and other hormones. Growth hormone plays an important role in controlling physical growth.
The pituitary gland releases growth hormone into the bloodstream. This triggers the liver to make a hormone called insulin-like growth factor-1, also called IGF-1. IGF-1 is really what causes bones and other tissues to grow. Too much growth hormone leads to too much IGF-1. And that can cause acromegaly symptoms and complications.
Risk factors
People who have a rare genetic condition called multiple endocrine neoplasia, type 1 have a higher risk of acromegaly. This condition also is called MEN 1.
In MEN 1, the parathyroid glands, pancreas and pituitary gland may grow tumors and release extra hormones. Extra parathyroid hormone can cause thin bones and kidney stones. A pancreas tumor may make the hormone insulin and cause low blood sugar. If the pituitary tumor makes extra growth hormone, acromegaly results. Very rarely, acromegaly can run in families.
Complications
Without treatment, acromegaly can lead to other health conditions called complications. These complications can include the following.
Conditions of the heart and blood vessels such as:
- High blood pressure.
- Higher risk of narrow arteries, which may lead to a heart attack or stroke.
- A disease of the heart muscle called cardiomyopathy.
Cancer and conditions that can lead to cancer:
- Higher risk of some cancers.
- Growths called polyps on the lining of the colon. Without treatment, these growths can lead to colon cancer.
Sexual and reproductive health conditions such as:
- Missed periods or irregular vaginal bleeding.
- Trouble getting or keeping an erection, also called erectile dysfunction.
- Less sexual desire.
Other serious conditions including:
- The most common type of arthritis, called osteoarthritis.
- Type 2 diabetes.
- An irregular growth of the thyroid gland, called a goiter.
- A condition called sleep apnea in which breathing stops and starts many times during sleep.
- A condition called carpal tunnel syndrome that causes numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand and arm.
- Spinal cord compression or fractures.
- Vision changes or vision loss.
Early treatment of acromegaly can prevent these complications or keep them from becoming worse. Without treatment, acromegaly and its complications can lead to early death.