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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff
Acromegaly occurs when your body produces too much growth hormone. The source of the excess hormone is almost always your pituitary gland, a small bean-shaped structure at the base of your brain behind your nose. Growth hormone is one of several hormones your pituitary gland produces.
Growth hormone plays an important role in growth and regeneration of your bones and other tissues by stimulating your liver to produce another hormone called insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I).
In adults, a tumor is the most common cause of excess growth hormone:
- Pituitary tumors. Most cases of acromegaly are caused by a noncancerous (benign) tumor, or adenoma, of the pituitary gland. In addition to producing excess growth hormone, these tumors can press on nearby tissues as they grow. This pressure can cause some of the symptoms of acromegaly, such as headaches and impaired vision.
- Nonpituitary tumors. In a few people, acromegaly is caused by benign or cancerous tumors in other parts of the body, such as the lungs, pancreas or adrenal glands. Some of these tumors actually secrete growth hormone. In other cases, they produce a hormone called growth hormone-releasing hormone (GH-RH), which stimulates the pituitary gland to make more growth hormone.
- Melmed S, et al. Disorders of the anterior pituitary and hypothalamus. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Online. 17th ed. USA: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=2876725. Accessed June 6, 2010.
- Fitzgerald PM. Acromegaly and gigantism. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2010. 49th ed. USA: McGraw-Hill; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=14372&searchStr=acromegaly. Accessed June 6, 2010.
- Melmed S. Diagnosis of acromegaly. http://uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 6, 2010.
- Melmed S. Treatment of acromegaly. http://uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 6, 2010.
- Chapman IM. Gigantism and acromegaly. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec12/ch151/ch151f.html#sec12-ch151-ch151f-128. Accessed June 6, 2010.
- Acromegaly. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://endocrine.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/acro/acro.htm. Accessed June 8, 2010.
- Vik-Mo EO, et al. Gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery for acromegaly. European Journal of Endocrinology. 2007;157:255.
- Cook DM, et al. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Medical Guidelines for Clinical Practice for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acromegaly. Endocrine Practice. 2004;10:213.
- Nippoldt TB (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Rochester, Minn. July 7, 2010.
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