Experiences with acromegaly at San José Hospital

Case series report 1990-2007

Abstract

Background: acromegaly is caused by the abnormal production of growth hormone (GH) after epiphysiary closure. In 98% of cases, the source of GH hypersecretion is a somatotrope hypofisiary adenoma.

Objective: the objective of this project was to characterize a series of cases of acromegaly.

Materials and methods: outpatient charts were reviewed retrospectively at the Hospital San Jose in Bogota. A total of 24 cases were detected from 1990 - 2007, with a confirmed diagnosis of acromegaly. A data collection tool was applied and demographic, clinical, paraclinical and treatment variables were collected. Uni- and bi-variate analyses were used and data was analysed in the Epi-Info tool.

Results: a greater frequency favoring female gender was observed, and the age range was 20-45 years. Average symptom evolution was 8, 3 years. Most frequent signs and symptoms that generated consultation were changes in physical appearance, prognathism and cephalea. Diagnostic imaging was performed in 96% of cases using MRI with contrast, finding in most of them the macroadenoma variety of the tumor.Ninety-two percent of patients underwent surgery and the most common technique included transesphenoidal approach. Medical treatment used more commonly somatostatin analogues (octreótide) and 50% of patients received radiotherapy.

Conclusion: acromegaly is still being diagnosed by the time when important systemic alterations have appeared. It is observed at young age. The experience has been larger with macroadenomas, similar to reports from world literature that show this disease as one with an insidious course and late diagnosis that complicate the patients"(TM) prognosis. The findings in this case series related to clinical presentation and comorbidities are similar with the ones observed by other authors