Question

1.What is most common cause for Acromegaly ?
2.What organs are affected by acromegaly?
3.What are the symptoms for acromegaly ?

Answer 1

1. answer



Pituitary adenomaEdit

About 98% of cases of acromegaly are due to the overproduction of growth hormone by abenign tumor of the pituitary gland called anadenoma.[11] These tumors produce excessive growth hormone and compress surrounding brain tissues as they grow larger. In some cases, they may compress the optic nerves. Expansion of the tumor may cause headaches and visual disturbances. In addition, compression of the surrounding normal pituitary tissue can alter production of other hormones, leading to changes inmenstruation and breast discharge in women and impotence in men because of reducedtestosterone production.

A marked variation in rates of GH production and the aggressiveness of the tumor occurs. Some adenomas grow slowly and symptoms of GH excess are often not noticed for many years. Other adenomas grow rapidly and invade surrounding brain areas or the sinuses, which are located near the pituitary. In general, younger patients tend to have more aggressive tumors.

Most pituitary tumors arise spontaneously and are not genetically inherited. Many pituitary tumors arise from a genetic alteration in a single pituitary cell that leads to increased cell division and tumor formation. This genetic change, or mutation, is not present at birth, but is acquired during life. The mutation occurs in a gene that regulates the transmission of chemical signals within pituitary cells; it permanently switches on the signal that tells the cell to divide and secrete growth hormones. The events within the cell that cause disordered pituitary cell growthand GH oversecretion currently are the subject of intensive research.

Pituitary adenomas and diffuse somatomammotroph hyperplasia may result from somatic activating mutations GNAS, which may be acquired or associated withMcCune-Albright syndrome.[12][13]

Other tumorsEdit

In a few patients, acromegaly is caused not by pituitary tumors, but by tumors of thepancreas, lungs, and adrenal glands. These tumors also lead to an excess of GH, either because they produce GH themselves or, more frequently, because they produce GHRH(growth hormone releasing hormone), the hormone that stimulates the pituitary to make GH. In these patients, the excess GHRH can be measured in the blood and establishes that the cause of the acromegaly is not due to a pituitary defect. When these nonpituitary tumors are surgically removed, GH levels fall and the symptoms of acromegaly improve.

In patients with GHRH-producing, non-pituitary tumors, the pituitary still may be enlarged and may be mistaken for a tumor. Therefore, it is important that physicians carefully analyze all "pituitary tumors" removed from patients with acromegaly so as to not overlook the possibility that a tumor elsewhere in the body is causing the disorder.


2 answer
Acromegaly is a serious condition that occurs when the body produces too much of the hormones that controlgrowth. The hormone most often affected is called growth hormone, or GH. It is produced by the pituitary gland, a tiny organ at the base of the brain



3. answer
physical deformity, abnormally large tongue, bulging chest, deepening of voice, enlarged organs, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, infrequent menstruation, large ears, large feet, large hands, large nose, oily skin, protruding jaw, snoring, or vision disorder

Answer 2

A disorder in adults in which the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone.
Causes. The most common cause is a pituitary adenoma, a noncancerous tumor that makes growth hormone from your pituitary gland.
Acromegaly is a serious condition that occurs when the body produces too much of the hormones that control growth. The hormone most often affected is called growth hormone, or GH. It is produced by the pituitary gland, a tiny organ at the base of the brain.
People may experience:

Pain areas: in the joints

Also common: physical deformity, abnormally large tongue, bulging chest, deepening of voice, enlarged organs, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, infrequent menstruation, large ears, large feet, large hands, large nose, oily skin, protruding jaw, snoring, or vision disorder