Acromegaly is a hormonal condition characterized by excessive bone growth in your feet, hands, and face. It can cause them to become enlarged.
What is acromegaly?
Acromegaly is a rare hormonal disorder that results from the body producing too much growth hormone (GH) during adulthood often caused by a tumor on the pituitary gland. This excess GH causes bones, cartilage, and soft tissues to grow larger than normal, particularly in the hands, feet, face, and eyes.
Through tailored treatment, identifying the increased GH levels and abnormal growth of different body parts, the experts at AHN are here to help you navigate this condition.
AHN Pituitary Center
At the AHN Pituitary Center, which is part of AHN Neuroscience, our team of expert physicians and providers specializes in caring for people with pituitary gland disorders, including acromegaly. Since this condition is caused by abnormal growth resulting from elevated GH levels, it requires specialized care.
Our collaborative approach to acromegaly treatment involves a multidisciplinary team, including neurosurgery and endocrinology experts. This coordinated effort ensures you receive the best, most efficient care for your specific condition, providing a smooth and prompt care experience from diagnosis through acromegaly treatment.
Why choose AHN for your acromegaly
At AHN, we have the experience and understanding of how this condition can impact your life, your physical abilities or self-image. We’re here to help.
Our team of neurosurgeons, ophthalmologists, and endocrinologists treats a large number of people with this condition. We work together to find a treatment plan that fits your symptoms and circumstances and maximizes your quality of life.
Acromegaly symptoms and signs
Acromegaly symptoms can vary widely. People with acromegaly may experience:
- Large or swollen hands, feet, or chest
- Coarse facial features, such as a wide jawline or forehead
- Increased glove or shoe size
- Headaches
- Oily skin
- Extreme tiredness
- Muscle weakness or joint pain
Causes and risk factors
Acromegaly is a hormonal disorder that is most often caused by too much growth hormone (GH) in the body. The extra GH is usually caused by a noncancerous tumor called a pituitary adenoma in the pituitary gland.
In most cases, the reason an individual develops a pituitary adenoma is unknown. They are usually sporadic (meaning they occur randomly) and are not hereditary (passed through family). They are not caused by lifestyle factors or environmental exposures that we currently understand.
In very rare cases, acromegaly can be caused by tumors outside the pituitary gland. These are much less common:
- Pancreatic, lung, or adrenal tumors: These tumors can produce growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). GHRH then stimulates the normal pituitary gland to produce excessive growth hormone, leading to acromegaly.
- Ectopic growth hormone production: Even more rarely, tumors in other parts of the body (like the pancreas or lungs) can directly produce growth hormone itself.
It's important to note that acromegaly is generally not caused by:
- Diet or lifestyle choices
- Environmental toxins
- Specific medications
- Trauma to the head
The primary risk factor is simply the spontaneous development of a growth hormone-producing pituitary adenoma.
Acromegaly screening and diagnosis
At AHN, a team of physicians works together to evaluate and treat patients with acromegaly. You may see a neurosurgeon as well as an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) and endocrinologist (hormone doctor).
After performing a thorough physical examination to evaluate your symptoms, your physician may recommend various tests or imaging scans so they can get a full picture of your health.
Ophthalmologic testing
Our comprehensive ophthalmologic evaluations are performed by physicians who specialize in pituitary conditions such as acromegaly.
Bloodwork and lab tests
Our endocrinologists may recommend a series of lab tests or bloodwork to assess your body’s hormone levels.
CT (computed tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan
Advanced imaging of the brain can confirm the presence of a pituitary tumor and give physicians details about its size and location.
Types and stages of acromegaly
Unlike many cancers or other diseases, acromegaly is generally not categorized into types or stages in the same way. Understanding the pituitary adenoma, the noncancerous tumor that often causes acromegaly, is a vital aspect to treatment.
Instead of assessing the tumor by the type or stage, your care team will often review and monitor other factors that will best help determine your care plan. These include:
- Tumor size: This is the most common classification for pituitary adenomas that your doctor will use to understand your care needs.
- Disease activity and control: This refers to how well the GH levels are controlled through treatment.
- Tumor invasiveness: Sometimes, especially with macroadenomas (larger benign tumors that measure 10mm or larger in diameter), the tumor can grow and invade surrounding structures. This invasiveness can impact surgical complexity and success.
- Presence of complications: Your care team will also assess any complications that may have developed due to prolonged exposure to high growth hormone levels, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, or sleep apnea.
By focusing on these precise characteristics, your medical team gains a clear and comprehensive understanding of your unique situation, allowing them to provide personalized, effective treatment and guide you confidently toward managing your acromegaly successfully.
Acromegaly treatment
If you have acromegaly, AHN’s physicians will work together to develop a acromegaly treatment plan that fits your needs. We use the latest technologies and therapies to treat patients. We’ll follow your progress over time and adapt your care plan as your symptoms or needs change. See why so many people choose AHN for pituitary neuroendocrine care.
Acromegaly treatment options may include:
- Medication: Medications work in different ways to block or lower levels of growth hormone in the body and slow abnormal growth.
- Radiation therapy: Stereotactic radiosurgery involves a nonsurgical outpatient procedure that delivers a single, focused, high dose of radiation to a tumor. Our sophisticated and precise dosing enables our surgeons to treat tumors of different shapes and sizes.
- Surgery: Our fellowship-trained surgeons have expertise in performing open skull base surgery and endoscopic endonasal neurosurgery for acromegaly treatment. In endoscopic endonasal surgery, physicians use innovative techniques to remove tumors through the nose. It is highly effective and minimally invasive, with many patients experiencing fewer side effects and a quicker recovery. Read more about the benefits of minimally invasive neurosurgery.
Acromegaly FAQs
Having questions about acromegaly is normal and expected. AHN is here to help. Reach out to your care team for specific answers and to feel more confident in your care.
What causes acromegaly?
Acromegaly is almost always caused by a benign (non-cancerous) tumor in the pituitary gland, called a pituitary adenoma. This tumor leads to the excessive production and release of Growth Hormone (GH). The persistently high GH levels then stimulate the liver and other tissues to produce more Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1), which is the primary mediator of the abnormal growth and other characteristic symptoms seen in individuals with acromegaly.
In very rare instances, acromegaly can be caused by tumors outside the pituitary gland (ectopic tumors) that either produce GH themselves or produce Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone (GHRH), which then stimulates the pituitary gland to produce too much GH. However, these cases are exceedingly uncommon.
Contact us
To schedule an appointment or learn more about services at the AHN Pituitary Center, call 412-359-6200.