title: Experiences with octreotide in acromegaly.
abstract: We report experiences in 3 patients with acromegaly while using the somatostatin analogue octreotide. In case 1, a 44 year old male developed pneumococcal meningitis 3 months after having transphenoidal surgery for a pituitary tumour. This occurred with the re-emergence of communication between the surgical tract and the C.S.F. In case 2 a 52 year old male with insulin resistant diabetes mellitus requiring 240 units/day, with greatly elevated growth hormone concentrations was able to stop insulin within 5 days of starting octreotide. In case 3, a 52 year old male with sleep apnoea syndrome, respiratory failure and resistant heart failure made a dramatic improvement which is maintained 2 years later. All cases were associated with substantial falls in growth hormone and insulin like growth factor-1 concentrations.
authors.affiliation: University College, Cork.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: O'Hare
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abuaisha
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cotter
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000328:Adult; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D015282:Octreotide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D015282:Octreotide