Treatment of Acromegaly

Acromegaly is the clinical expression of chronic secretion of excessive amounts of growth hormone. Its cardinal clinical manifestation is thickening of the skin, soft tissue, and bones of the hands and feet. It also causes thickening of these tissues throughout the body and enlargement of most viscera. The effects of hypersecretion of growth hormone are slowly progressive. Therefore, the course of acromegaly is usually insidious, but it ultimately results in considerable disability, in addition to the often cosmetically distressing acral enlargement and the accompanying need for larger rings, gloves, and shoes. Some of the disability results from tissue overgrowth; nasopharyngeal . . .