What Is Gigantism?: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

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What is Gigantism?

Gigantism is excessive growth due to excess growth hormone.

During childhood before growth plates close. Gigantism is also known as acromegaly. Due to an increase in growth hormone, one part of the body becomes more significant than usual.

Growth hormones in the human body are born in the pituitary gland; this gland is just below the brain.
With the help of blood, these hormones reach the liver, and the liver produces hormones that increase the muscles and bones (bones) of the body.

Acromegaly or gigantism occurs when the body starts producing more hormones than necessary.

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Table of Contents

Causes of gigantism

Gigantism is a condition that can lead overproduction of growth hormones.

Rare gene mutations that increase the risk of some tumors with pituitary adenoma (Carnegie complex)

McQueen-Albright syndrome due to a gene mutation

Hereditary disorders that cause tumors in the endocrine glands and make them hypersensitive
(Multiple end-end secretory neoplasias)

Neurofibromatosis genetic disorder causes tumor growth.

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Symptoms of gigantism

  • Excessive growth
  • The child is large for their age.
  • Delayed puberty.
  • Double vision or difficulty with peripheral vision.
  • Headaches
  • Increased sweating
  • Large hands and feet.
  • Thickening of facial features.
  • Weakness
  • Diagnostic Procedures
  • CT or MRI of head.
  • There will be high prolactin levels.
  • Increased insulin growth factor levels.

Diagnosis

  • Blood test
  • oral glucose tolerance test to detect sugar level in the blood.
  • MRI of the brain
  • measure the growth hormone
  • To detect the IGF(insulin-like growth factor)

Treatment of gigantism

  • Surgery to remove the tumor.
  • Medication that will reduce how much growth hormone is released.
  • Radiation Therapy.
  • Gamma knife radiation therapy it will not harm the surrounding tissues but destroy the tumor.

Conclusion

If the tumor comes later or if the surgery is not performed safely, use the medication to reduce your child’s symptoms and give them a longer and fuller life.

Read also: What Is Hypopituitarism?: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Diagnosis

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