The pituitary gland is a bean shaped, hormone secreting gland found at the base of the brain. It produces some hormones and regulates the production of hormones by other endocrine-- hormone producing-- glands. The hormones produced by the pituitary gland regulate growth, blood pressure, reproduction, metabolism, water balance in the body, the body's response to stress and the overall health of the body. Growth hormone is made by the pituitary gland, and acromegaly occurs when it is overproduced.
Pituitary Tumors
The pituitary gland is made of different types of cells. A pituitary tumor occurs when some of these pituitary cells begin to grow abnormally. Some effects of pituitary tumors include overproduction or underproduction of some hormones. In acromegaly, the effect of pituitary tumors is overproduction of growth hormone. Some functions of this hormone include growth of the bones and muscles.
Acromegaly
Acromegaly occurs when the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone in adults.This can occur when a pituitary tumor is present. Excess growth hormone affects children and adults differently. In children, the condition is called gigantism, and it makes children grow taller. In adults, there is no increase in height. Instead, the bones get thicker, wider and deformed.
Symptoms
Symptoms of acromegaly include many things as well as physical appearance. Some of them are coarse facial features, bigger hands and feet, thick, oily skin, too much sweating, weakness and fatigue, a big jaw, protruding forehead, deep voice, an enlarged tongue, a barrel or bigger chest and larger organs.
Complications
If acromegaly is not treated, it could lead to other health issues or complications. The Mayo Clinic says these could include high blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, enlargement of the heart muscle, osteoarthritis, growth of tumors in the colon and sleep apnea, vision loss and benign uterine growths, or fibroids.
Treatment
Treatment for acromegaly causing pituitary tumors may require more than one approach. A transsphenoidal surgery can be done to remove the tumors and normalize growth hormone secretion. If the entire tumor is not removed and growth hormone levels remain high, radiation therapy may be used to bring down growth hormone levels by destroying the tumor.
Certain medications can also be used to lower the production of growth hormone or block its action in the body. Classes of medication used in acromegaly are somatostatin analogues, dopamine agonists and growth hormone antagonist. Somatostatin analogues and dopamine agonists reduce the amount of growth hormone in the body and may also reduce the size of the pituitary tumor. Growth hormone antagonist block the effect of growth hormone in the body.
