Acromegaly

About

Acromegaly is a Greek word meaning enlargement of the extremities. It is a hormonal disorder that results when the pituitary gland produces excessive growth hormone (GH) in adulthood after attainment of puberty.

The incidence of Acromegaly is about 3-4 cases per million population per year. The disease mostly affects middle-aged adults and the mean age of diagnosis is 40-45 years. It can result in serious illness and premature death.

Acromegaly is often related to gigantism.

There exists a disease specially characterized by an hypertrophy of the hands, feet, and face, which we propose to call Acromegaly; that is to say, hypertrophy of the hands and feet "not because the hands and feet are alone affected during the course of the malady, but because their increase is an initial lesion, and constitutes the most characteristic feature of the affection". - Pierre Marie,1885