The pituitary gland is responsible for producing hormones essential to the body, including growth hormone. Acromegaly is a condition that results in the overproduction of growth hormone, which can lead to physical changes in one’s face, hands, and feet, along with other symptoms.
Tumours that develop on the pituitary gland release growth hormone, which leads to excess levels within the body and cause the symptoms associated with acromegaly. These tumours are often non-cancerous and usually develop slowly, which can make the effects of acromegaly less obvious. However, larger growths may cause other health problems or even impact other areas of the brain.
Physical changes are often the most evident with acromegaly. These physical changes can include:
Other symptoms of acromegaly can include pain in the joints, headaches, and a growing number of skin tags, which are small growths that develop on the skin. Due to the gradual development of most pituitary tumours, the symptoms of acromegaly typically take longer to manifest.
Surgical removal of growths on the pituitary gland is often successful at eliminating or reducing symptoms of acromegaly. Radiation treatment is also capable of shrinking pituitary growths. In the event of a large tumour, or if it is not possible to remove the growth completely, medication will likely follow.
Acromegaly medications can manage excessive levels of growth hormone to reduce health effects. Some drugs prevent the production of growth hormone or lower levels of the hormone, while others block the action of growth hormone in the body. It is sometimes necessary to continue a drug regimen for the long-term to properly control the effects of acromegaly.