title: [Current diagnosis and treatment of acromegaly].
abstract: Acromegaly is a rare condition characterized by the excessive secretion of growth hormone (GH), usually by a pituitary adenoma. The clinical manifestations of acromegaly include enlarged hands, feet and face, headaches, arthralgias, fatigue and hyperhydrosis. This condition is also associated with comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes in a significant proportion of patients and frequently compromises life quality and life expectancy. The biochemical diagnosis of acromegaly rests on the demonstration of an autonomous secretion of GH by means of the measurement of glucose-suppressed GH levels and the serum concentration of insulin like growth factor type 1 (IGF-1). The localizing method of choice is magnetic resonance image of the selar area, which in 70 % of the cases reveals the presence of a macroadenoma. Even though the primary treatment is usually the transsphenoidal resection of the adenoma, the majority of patients require a multimodal intervention that includes radiotherapy, as well as pharmacological therapy with somatostatin analogs and dopamine agonists. The latter approach has resulted in a significant reduction in mortality and in an improvement in the quality of life.
authors: Servicio de Endocrinología, Unidad de Investigación Médica en Endocrinología Experimental, Hospital de Especialidades, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Distrito Federal, México. moises.mercado@endocrinologia.org.mx.
authors: Virgilio
authors: V
authors: Melgar
authors: Etual
authors: E
authors: Espinosa
authors: Dalia
authors: D
authors: Cuenca
authors: Vanessa
authors: V
authors: Valle
authors: Moisés
authors: M
authors: Mercado
mesh_terms: D000172:Acromegaly / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D000236:Adenoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D049912:Growth Hormone-Secreting Pituitary Adenoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone
keywords: Acromegaly; Growth hormone; IGF-1; Pituitary adenoma