The primary treatment is usually surgery followed by radiotherapy or medications that decrease GH excess. Once recognized, acromegaly is treatable in most patients. Because of its slow onset, acromegaly may go undiagnosed for many years. Patients may also have an enlarged heart, tingling or pain in extremities (peripheral neuropathy), and excessive sleepiness during the day (sleep apnea). Patients may also experience headaches, irregular periods (in women), impotence (in men) and peripheral vision loss. The most common symptoms of GH excess are enlargement of the hands, feet and face and excessive sweating. If the disease develops before a person has stopped growing, it causes gigantism since too much GH promotes growth of bones in the body. It most commonly affects middle-aged adults and can result in serious illnesses or premature death. Select a link below to learn more:Īcromegaly is caused by a pituitary tumor that produces excess growth hormone (GH). Other conditions can also result in pituitary problems. Tumors in the pituitary region,infections and autoimmune conditions can affect the pituitary gland and cause headaches, visual problems and hormonal abnormalities. They can also compress the optic nerve, causing visual problems and headaches.

As pituitary tumors grow, they can compress the pituitary gland and cause decreased hormone production (pituitary insufficiency, or hypopituitarism). Small pituitary adenomas (less than 1 cm in diameter, or smaller than a grape) are called microadenomas, while larger tumors are called macroadenomas. Most pituitary adenomas are known as non-functional adenomas and do not produce excessive amounts of hormones, while others can result in hormone overproduction, causing serious endocrine problems, such as acromegaly (GH excess), Cushing's syndrome (ACTH excess) or prolactinoma (prolactin excess). More than 99 percent of these tumors are benign.

Pituitary tumors, also called pituitary adenomas, are the most common cause of pituitary gland disorders.

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