title: Increased prevalence of gallbladder polyps in acromegaly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies have suggested an increased prevalence of benign and malignant tumors in acromegaly, particularly colonic neoplasms. The gallbladder's epithelial similarity to the colon raises the possibility that gallbladder polyps (GBP) may occur more frequently in acromegaly.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one patients with newly diagnosed acromegaly (14 females, 17 males; mean age 54.7 yr, range 27-76 yr) were referred to our center between 2004 and 2008. All had pituitary adenomas and were treated with somatostatin analogs prior to transsphenoidal surgery. Biliary ultrasonography was performed at the time of referral. In a retrospective case-cohort study, we compared the prevalence of GBP in these scans with those of 13,234 consecutive patients (age range 20-80 yr) presenting at the hospital for abdominal/biliary ultrasound during the same time interval. Associations between GH and IGF-I levels and GBP in acromegaly were also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a higher prevalence of GBP in patients with acromegaly compared with controls (29.03 vs 4.62%, P = 0.000008); relative risk was 6.29 (95% confidence interval 3.61-10.96). Eight of nine patients with acromegaly and GBP were older than 50 yr of age. GH levels were higher in those with GBP (median 30.8 μg/liter, interquartile range 10.9-39.1) than those without (8.2 μg/liter, interquartile range 6.0-16.0), but IGF-I levels were comparable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to demonstrate an increased prevalence of GBP in patients with newly diagnosed acromegaly. Further studies are required to determine whether these patients are at increased risk of developing gallbladder carcinoma and to define the role, if any, of biliary ultrasound surveillance.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Metabolic ScienceAddenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, CB2 0QQ Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Anand K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Annamalai
authors.forename: Emma L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Gayton
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Halsall
authors.forename: Caiomhe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: Ferda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ibram
authors.forename: Afzal N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Chaudhry
authors.forename: Helen L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gurnell
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D000236:Adenoma / Q000150:complications; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005705:Gallbladder Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D011127:Polyps / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I