Saturday, February, 11, 2012

Gigantism

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Giantism


Symptoms

The child will grow in height, as well as in the muscles and organs. This excessive growth makes the child extremely large for his or her age.

Other symptoms include:

  • Delayed puberty
  • Double vision or difficulty with side (peripheral) vision
  • Frontal bossing and a prominent jaw
  • Headache
  • Increased sweating
  • Irregular periods (menstruation)
  • Large hands and feet with thick fingers and toes
  • Release of breast milk
  • Thickening of the facial features
  • Weakness

Signs and tests
  • CT or MRI scan of the head showing pituitary tumor
  • Failure to suppress serum growth hormone (GH) levels after an oral glucose challenge (maximum 75g)
  • High prolactin levels
  • Increased insulin growth factor-I (IGF-I) levels

Damage to the pituitary may lead to low levels of other hormones, including:

  • Cortisol
  • Estradiol (girls)
  • Testosterone (boys)
  • Thyroid hormone

Review Date: 11/23/2009
Reviewed By: Ari S. Eckman, MD, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)