Content Curator
Acromegaly is a hormonal illness that results in the unusual growth of body parts. It is mainly caused by excessive secretion of growth hormones by the pituitary gland. In Acromegaly, initially hands and feet are enlarged and after that the enlargement of the other body parts such as forehead, jaws and nose occur.
Acromegaly
Acromegaly is a hormonal illness caused due to excessive secretion of growth hormone. The organ responsible for the secretion of growth hormone is the pituitary gland.
In some cases, the secretion of growth hormone increases due to a benign tumour also known as pituitary adenoma.
The tumour cells release excessive Growth Hormone which acts on the growth plates. It is the main cause for the enlarged stature.
Acromegaly
Causes of Acromegaly
The most common cause of Acromegaly is the excessive production of growth hormones. The pituitary gland, also called the master gland, is responsible for the secretion of growth hormone.
Pituitary Gland
The people affected by Acromegaly are usually between the age range of 30 to 50. However, it can affect people anytime after puberty.
Acromegaly can be caused by both pituitary tumors or non-pituitary tumors.
Symptoms of Acromegaly
Symptoms of Acromegaly may take years to come into notice. Though symptoms of Acromegaly may vary from patient to patient, some of the common symptoms are:
- Constant headaches
- Sleeplessness
- Abnormal increase in weight
- Painful joints
- Growth in tongue or jaws
- Weakness in muscles
- Fatigue
- Impaired vision
- Croaky voice
- Too much space between fingers
- Too much spaces between toes
- Sweating too much
- Development of tags on skin
- Thickening of skin
- Development of body odor
- Swelling in joints
- Unusual growth in bones of hand, feet, and face
- Enlargement of sebaceous glands
- Too much space between teeth
- In women, it can result in excessive hair growth and an irregular menstrual cycle
Acromegaly
Diagnosis of Acromegaly
Acromegaly can be diagnosed by testing the levels of growth hormone in the body. This will include a series of tests:
- Blood test
- MRI scan of the brain
- IGF 1 (Insulin-like growth factor 1)
- Oral glucose tolerance test
Treatment of Acromegaly
The treatment of this Acromegaly depends on the patient's health, age, and severity of the condition.
- Medicines- Medicines can be prescribed for reducing the symptoms of Acromegaly and for the reduction in levels of growth hormone. Medicines also help in aiding hormone deficiency.
- Surgery- Surgery can be done to remove the tumor cells. The procedure used is called transsphenoidal surgery. Surgery is the best option for patients with Acromegaly.
- Radiation Therapy- Radiation therapy can be used to destroy large tumor cells. This helps in reducing the levels of growth hormones in the body.
Things to Remember Based on Acromegaly
- Acromegaly is a hormonal illness that results in the unusual growth of body parts.
- Acromegaly is caused by excessive secretion of growth hormones by the pituitary gland.
- Acromegaly can be diagnosed by testing the levels of growth hormone in the body.
- Diagnosis of acromegaly includes blood test, MRI scan of the brain, IGF 1, and oral glucose tolerance test.
- It can be treated through medicines, surgery, or radiation therapy.
- Symptoms of acromegaly include croaky voice, painful joints, fatigue, swelling in joints, sleeplessness, impaired vision, increase in weight, excessive sweating, thickening of the skin, constant headaches, and unusual growth of hands, feet, and face.
Important Questions Based on Acromegaly
Ques: Which of the following hormone is NOT secreted by the pituitary gland: (1 Mark)
- Follicle-stimulating hormone
- Luteinizing hormone
- Thymosin
- Growth hormone
Ans: c) Thymosin.
Explanation- Pituitary Gland secrets only Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Growth Hormone (GH), Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Melanocyte-stimulating hormone, and Antidiuretic hormone. Thyosin is not secreted by the pituitary Gland.
Ques: What happens if acromegaly is left untreated? (1 Mark)
Ans: If acromegaly is left untreated, it can lead to many complications like hypertension, vision loss, arthritis, diabetes, kidney failure, heart diseases, hypopituitarism, carpal tunnel syndrome, or damage to the spinal cord.
Ques: What are pituitary and non-pituitary tumors? (2 Marks)
Ans: Acromegaly can be caused by pituitary tumors or non-pituitary tumors. When the cause of acromegaly is a tumor in the pituitary glands, it is a pituitary tumor. When the cause of acromegaly is a tumor in other internal organs, it is a non-pituitary tumor.
Ques: What are some of the symptoms of Acromegaly? (2 Marks)
Ans: Some of the common symptoms of acromegaly are croaky voice, painful joints, fatigue, swelling in joints, sleeplessness, impaired vision, increase in weight, excessive sweating, thickening of the skin, constant headaches, and unusual growth of hands, feet, and face.
Ques: Write a note on pineal gland. (2 Marks)
Ans: Pineal gland is located in the middle region of the brain. It is responsible for secretion of melatonin hormone. Melatonin hormone regulates the sleep-wake cycle of our body. Secretion of melatonin results in better sleep. Melatonin can impact our metabolism. The levels of secretion of melatonin vary with sex and age.
Ques: What are the functions of Androgens? (2 Marks)
Ans: Androgens perform the following functions:
- Androgens are responsible for development of male sex organs.
- Androgens play an important role in spermatogenesis.
- They trigger the growth of muscles.
- Androgens are responsible for growth of facial hair and lowering the pitch of voice.
Ques: What are the various methods for the treatment of acromegaly? (3 Marks)
Ans: The treatment of acromegaly depends on the patient's health, age, and severity of the condition. The treatment of acromegaly includes medicines, surgery, or radiation therapy.
Medicines can be prescribed for reducing the symptoms of Acromegaly and for a reduction in levels of growth hormone.
Surgery can be done to remove the tumor cells. The procedure used is called transsphenoidal surgery.
Radiation therapy can be given for destroying large tumor cells. This helps in reducing the levels of growth hormones in the body.
Ques: List out all the major Endocrine glands. (3 Marks)
Ans: Major Endocrine Glands are:
- Pituitary gland
- Parathyroid glands
- Thyroid gland
- Pancreas
- Pineal gland
- Gonads
- Adrenal glands
Ques: List out the hormones secreted by Hypothalamus. (3 Marks)
Ans: Hypothalamus secretes releasing and inhibiting hormones. The following hormones are secreted by Hypothalamus:
1) Releasing hormone-
- Thyrotropin
- Prolactin
- Growth hormone
- Melanocyte stimulating hormone
- Luteinizing hormone
- Adrenocorticotropin
2) Inhibiting hormone-
- Follicle- Stimulating hormone
- Prolactin inhibiting hormone
- Melanocyte stimulating hormone
Ques: Write a short note on the Pituitary gland. (3 Marks)
Ans: The pituitary gland is a pea-sized gland located at the bottom of our brain. It is an endocrine gland. It is responsible for the secretion of various important hormones in the body. Due to this reason, it is also called the Master gland.
Some of the hormones secreted by the pituitary gland are Follicle-stimulating hormone, Thyroid-stimulating hormone, Growth hormone, Luteinizing hormone, Melanocyte-stimulating hormone, and Antidiuretic hormone.
The pituitary gland can be divided in three parts: The posterior pituitary, Anterior pituitary, and Intermediate pituitary. The Intermediate pituitary is absent in human adults.
Comments