Diagnosis and treatment of acromegaly

Acromegaly is an insidious disease that occurs, in the majority of cases, as a result of a pituitary adenoma that hypersecretes growth hormone (GH). The clinical consequences of acromegaly are a function of excess GH secretion and mass effect of the pituitary tumor. The involvement of multiple organ systems may lead to significant morbidity and mortality, prompting the need for rapid and accurate disease recognition and treatment. This brief review will describe current recommendations for management of this uncommon, but debilitating, endocrine disorder. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.