Heel pad thickness is an insensitive index of biochemical remission in acromegaly.
The value of serial measurements of heel pad thickness as a clinical predictor of biochemical remission in acromegaly was assessed in 25 patients followed for up to 20 years after treatment by interstitial irradiation using yttrium-90 implantation. Growth hormone (GH) levels fell to 50% of baseline values within 12 months of therapy (P less than 0.001) and to 21% at 5 years, reaching normal levels after 10 years, constituting a biochemical cure maintained to the end of the study period. By contrast, heel pad thickness remained relatively stable, falling to 95% of baseline after 5 years (P less than 0.05) and to 87% after 20 years. There was no overall correlation between the measured parameters (r = 0.033, P greater than 0.05) suggesting that heel pad thickness is a poor predictor of biochemical remission in acromegaly.
MacSweeney
J E
JE
Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London.
Baxter
M A
MA
Joplin
G F
GF
D000172:Acromegaly / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000532:radiotherapy; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001918:Brachytherapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006365:Heel / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use
D015021:Yttrium Radioisotopes; D013006:Growth Hormone