title: [Acromegalic arthropathy].
abstract: Six acromegalic patients, three males (aged 28 to 48 years) and three females (aged 57 to 75 years), with GH-producing pituitary adenoma, were studied through clinical examination, laboratory and instrumental tests. In all the patients frequent involvement of large joints, with crepitus and provoked pain, was found; while articular mobility was normal especially in the dorso-lumbar spine, a frequent seat of pain. Radiology showed typical features of an osteoarthritic process with characteristic widening of articular spaces, especially in weight-bearing large joints in symptomatic patients. The evolution of this arthropathy lead to anatomo-clinical pictures almost indistinguishable from osteoarthritis; however, in the early stages, the marked cartilaginous hypertrophy is responsible for peculiar anatomo-radiological pictures, principally represented by widening of articular spaces and intervertebral discal spaces, especially in the dorso-lumbar spine. As far as bone metabolism is concerned, neoproduction and reabsorption, both increased, proceed simultaneously; bone mass reduction is described in some segments. In our study, the two patients with active acromegaly showed bone mass reduction in the lumbar spine.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Medica, Università degli Studi di Cagliari.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perpignano
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cacace
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beccaris
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Persod
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murgia
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Mela
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Petrini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martino
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D010014:Osteolysis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D011859:Radiography
vernacular_title: L'artropatia acromegalica.