Early descriptions of acromegaly and gigantism and their historical evolution as clinical entities.
Giants have been a subject of fascination throughout history. Whereas descriptions of giants have existed in the lay literature for millennia, the first attempt at a medical description was published by Johannes Wier in 1567. However, it was Pierre Marie, in 1886, who established the term "acromegaly" for the first time and established a distinct clinical diagnosis with clear clinical descriptions in 2 patients with the characteristic presentation. Multiple autopsy findings revealed a consistent correlation between acromegaly and pituitary enlargement. In 1909, Harvey Cushing postulated a “hormone of growth" as the underlying pathophysiological trigger involved in pituitary hypersecretion in patients with acromegaly. This theory was supported by his observations of clinical remission in patients with acromegaly in whom he had performed hypophysectomy. In this paper, the authors present some of the early accounts of acromegaly and gigantism, and describe its historical evolution as a medical and surgical entity.
Mammis
Antonios
A
Department of Neurological Surgery, Division of Otolaryngology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School, Neurological Institute of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA.
Eloy
Jean Anderson
JA
Liu
James K
JK
D000172:Acromegaly / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000266:history*; D000236:Adenoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000266:history; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D005877:Gigantism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000266:history*; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009452:Neuroendocrinology / Q000266:history; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000266:history*; D009626:Terminology as Topic