American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists medical guidelines for clinical practice for the diagnosis and treatment of acromegaly--2011 update

Acromegaly is a disorder characterized by growth hormone hypersecretion, multisystem-associated morbidities, and increased mortality. In 2004, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists published medical guidelines for the clinical management of acromegaly. Acromegaly is associated with a spectrum of comorbidities, which result in significant and debilitating clinical manifestations. Therefore, the frequent delay in diagnosis can magnify the consequences of this disease. Education about the clinical spectrum of acromegaly is imperative in order to promote earlier detection. The diagnosis of acromegaly begins with a clinical suspicion by the physician that the patient has this disease. In patients with acromegaly, the time frame and the probability for developing hypopituitarism depend on the treatment used. Pituitary insufficiency that manifests pre-operatively from tumor compression of the normal gland may diminish after successful surgical debulking, as with nonfunctioning macroadenomas. Standard therapy should be used for patients with left ventricular hypertrophy, impaired cardiac systolic and diastolic function, arrhythmias, conduction abnormalities, valvular heart disease, or ischemic heart disease.