The cost of medical care for the acromegalic patient

Despite ample proof to the contrary, the overwhelming number of health care practitioners still believe that acromegaly is a disease that they will rarely encounter, let alone have to treat. However, the reality is quite a bit different for both doctors and patients. Many of the obvious symptoms and signs of this disease manifest slowly and insidiously. As such, the majority of patients are often treated for seemingly unrelated conditions for years before the actual diagnosis of acromegaly is established. Thus, the overall cost of medical care for the acromegalic patient is considerably higher than appreciated at first glance. The financial cost of managing this disease must include the cost of care of comorbid conditions before and following the diagnosis of acromegaly. It is only through a higher degree of awareness that this disease will be identified earlier in its course and the true number of acromegalic patients is realized. We anticipate that such measures will serve to limit the psychological, emotional and economic burden of this potentially debilitating disease. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel