Gigantism

Gigantism is a pathological increase in human growth due to excessive production of growth hormone by the anterior pituitary gland. Gigantism should not be confused with simply being tall. Parents of people suffering from gigantism are usually of normal height. Gigantism is more often observed in men and usually appears at the age of 9-10 years or during puberty, continuing throughout the entire period of physiological growth.

Such people are characterized by poor health: they have complaints of headaches, weakness, fatigue, and pain in the limbs. Muscle strength may be increased at first, but then decrease sharply. Memory and mental activity deteriorate, sexual function is impaired, and other hormonal disorders (thyroid, pancreas) are possible.

The appearance of patients is characterized by disproportionality of physique, elongation of the limbs, especially the lower ones, while the head seems unusually small. Modern treatment methods, including hormonal drugs and radiotherapy, in many cases give positive results. If your child stands out tall among his peers, you should consult a doctor.

Gigantism (gigantismus; synonym macrosomia) is a pathological condition characterized by excessive growth of the body and its individual parts. The cause of gigantism is most often the increased production of growth hormone by the pituitary gland in childhood and adolescence.

Gigantism is manifested by an increase in the linear dimensions of the body, especially the limbs, face and skull. The height of patients with gigantism reaches 2.5 m or more. In addition, gigantism is characterized by disturbances in body proportionality, coarse facial features, a relatively high-pitched voice, sweating, and decreased sexual function.

Treatment of gigantism involves eliminating the causes of increased growth hormone production, most often by surgical removal of the hormone-producing pituitary tumor. With timely treatment, growth stops, but the body size already achieved remains large. The prognosis for gigantism is generally favorable with adequate therapy.