title: TRH/GnRH test in acromegaly. Long-term follow-up experience with successfully treated patients.
abstract: We investigated the rate of recurrence in acromegaly in 20 patients who were found to have a TRH and GnRH induced GH response postoperatively after primarily successful transsphenoidal selective adenomectomy in a retrospective study. All operations had been carried out by the same neurosurgeon (R.F.). Successful therapy was defined as basal GH-levels < or = 2 ng/ml and no evidence of residual tumour in the postoperative neuroradiological examination. The follow-up period ranged from 5 to 14 years (mean 7.7 years). At the last follow-up visit an OGTT was performed and SmC measured. In spite of the long-follow-up period we did not find patients with recurrent acromegaly in this investigation. We conclude that, in contrast to previous studies, a stimulation of GH in the TRH/GnRH test does not necessarily predict likely recurrence of acromegaly in patients with an adequate suppression of GH during an OGTT following operative microsurgical treatment.
authors.affiliation: Neurochirurgische Klinik mit Poliklinik Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Brockmeier
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buchfelder
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fahlbusch
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D000236:Adenoma / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D012008:Recurrence; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone
chemical_list: D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013006:Growth Hormone