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Diagnosing Acromegaly

Since the pathologic effects of increased GH secretion tend to progress over time, early detection is an important step in the management of acromegaly.1

The Difficulty of Diagnosis

The difficulty of early diagnosis results from several challenges:

  • Because symptoms develop gradually, they are not recognised early in the disease course by patients and physicians2
  • Patients may exhibit a variety of different clinical signs since they may have any combination of the common symptoms2
  • Other conditions can produce the signs and symptoms of acromegaly and must be ruled out3

For these reasons, most cases of acromegaly are not diagnosed until about 10 years (range: 4 to 10 years) after the onset of increased GH secretion.

Because of the variety of signs and symptoms of acromegaly, the disease can be detected initially by healthcare professionals of various disciplines, including primary care physicians, internists, gynecologists, dentists, and gastroenterologists.4,5

Read about recognising the signs and symptoms of acromegaly earlier.

Read about confirming the diagnosis of acromegaly earlier.

References: 1. Acromegaly Therapy Consensus Development Panel. Consensus statement: benefits versus risks of medical therapy for acromegaly. Am J Med. 1994;97:468-473. 2. Molitch ME. Clinical manifestations of acromegaly. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 1992;21:597-614. 3. Ben-Shlomo A, Melmed S. Acromegaly. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2001;30:565-583. 4. AACE Acromegaly Guidelines Task Force. American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Medical Guidelines for Clinical Practice for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acromegaly. Endocr Pract. 2004;10:213-225. 5. Jane JA Jr, Thapar K, Laws ER Jr. Acromegaly: historical perspectives and current therapy. J Neurooncol. 2001;54:129-137.


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