What are the Symptoms of Acromegaly?
Excess secretion of growth hormone in children produces the syndrome known as Gigantism. The excessive growth hormone causes a massive acceleration of growth, and heights in excess of 7-8 feet can be reached.
In the adult, excess growth hormone presents as Acromegaly. Acromegaly can present in a huge array of signs and symptoms. A list of the signs and symptoms of acromegaly is given below:
The Head
- Large tongue
- Interdental separation - separation of teeth due to alveolar bone growth
- Prominent supraorbital ridge
- Prognathism - growth of the mandible leading to a jutting jaw
- Visual field defects
- Goitre - due to generalised visceral enlargement
- Headaches
The Body
- Galactorrhoea
- Hirsuties
- Heart failure
- Generalised organomegaly - increase in size of heart, kidney, spleen,liver etc..
- Hypertension
- Impotence
- Amenorrhoea
The Limbs
- Increase in size of hands and feet
- Tight-fitting rings
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Proximal myopathy
- Arthropathy
- Oedema
The most common presenting complaint is that of a change in appearance. This is can be seen by studying old photographs. Acromegaly usually presents as a subtle disease with the clinical features developing over many years.
Some patients may present with galactorrhoea as in some tumours, both somatotrophin and prolactin are secreted.
Approximately a quarter of acromegaly patients have an impaired glucose tolerance due to the increased gluconeogenesis produced by the growth hormone.