Gigantism
Gigantism Causes
Gigantism is caused by a rare occurrence of a pituitary tumor, wherein a person produces extreme amounts of prepubertal growth hormones. Other underlying medical conditions may also cause gigantism, such as McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS), Carney complex, multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type-1, or neurofibromatosis.
Gigantism Definition
Gigantism is a condition wherein the human body grows excessively in height and weight during childhood, before the bone growth plates close, causing a person to live with overgrown bones.
Gigantism Diagnosis
Diagnosis of gigantism is quite difficult to do in children, because rapid growth is not necessarily seen as abnormal. For adults however, doctors usually study several serial photographs of the patient as he was growing up. To confirm this, skull x-rays and blood tests are conducted. The blood tests determine the amount of growth hormones and the insulin-like growth factor 1.
Gigantism Symptoms and Signs
The symptoms of gigantism vary, and it is difficult to say what is standard, as the average height and weight vary among races and is also affected by genetics. However, other symptoms present themselves in other parts of the body, not necessarily in weight or height. These include a prominent jaw, thickening of facial features, disproportionately large feet and hands, including very thick fingers and toes, weakness, irregular menstruation, secretion of breast milk, disproportionate growth during childhood, and delayed puberty.
Gigantism Treatment
Surgery is the most common form of treatment for cases where the pituitary tumors are clear and well defined. The process is effective for 80% of cases. For cases where surgery is not possible, medication is given. The types of medication given for gigantism are somatostatin analogs, which are highly effective in decreasing the growth hormone secretion.