Acromegaly: A Disease of the Endocrine System

Acro/megaly

Acr/o is the combining form of the root word meaning the tip or end of the extremities or body

Medical Term

Breakdown

-Megaly is the suffix meaning the irregular enlargement of the body or part of the body specified by the root word in the medical term

Signs and Symptoms

A common sign of acromegaly is enlarged hands and feet. Acromegaly may also cause gradual changes in the shape of the patient's face, such as a protruding lower jaw and brow, an enlarged nose, thickened lips, and wider spacing between their teeth.

Acromegaly tends to progress slowly. This means that early signs may not be obvious for years. Sometimes, patient's will notice the condition by comparing old photographs with newer ones.

Acromegaly may produce the following signs and symptoms, which can vary from one person to another:

Signs and

Symptoms

- Enlarged hands and feet - Coarsened, enlarged facial features - Coarse, oily, thickened skin - Excessive sweating and body odor - Small outgrowths of skin tissue - Fatigue and muscle weakness - A deepened, husky voice due to enlarged vocal cords and sinuses - Severe snoring due to obstruction of the upper airway - Impaired vision - Headaches - Enlarged tongue - Pain and limited joint mobility - Menstrual cycle irregularities in women - Erectile dysfunction in men - Enlarged organs - Loss of interest in sex

Photos

Photos

Typical Hand VS Acromegaly Hand

Facial and Cranial

Features

Acromegaly Foot VS Typical Foot

Timeline of Acromegaly

It was Pierre Marie, in 1886, who established the term "acromegaly" and established a distinct clinical diagnosis with clear clinical descriptions in two patients with the characteristic presentation. Multiple autopsy findings revealed a consistent correlation between acromegaly and pituitary enlargement.

1567

1886

1909

The first attempt at a medical description was published by Johannes Wier in 1567.

In 1909, Harvey Cushing suggested a “hormone of growth" as the underlying pathophysiological trigger involved in pituitary hypersecretion in patients with acromegaly. This theory was supported by his observations of clinical remission in patients with acromegaly in whom he had performed hypophysectomy.

Carel Struycken

July 1947 - Present

Carel Struycken

Carel is a Dutch film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for playing the Giant/Fireman in Twin Peaks, Mr. Homn in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Lurch in the films The Addams Family, Addams Family Values, and Addams Family Reunion. In 1978, Carel was "discovered" as an actor at the corner of Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles by a woman who had abandoned her car in the middle of the street, calling after him: "We need you for a movie!". The film was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Carel is a vegetarian and likes gardening. He is married to an American woman and has two children. He lives in the Los Angeles area. Carel is also an avid photographer. He maintains a website devoted to his spherical panoramas

Fred Gwynne

July 1926 - July 1993

Fred Gwynne

Fred was an American actor, artist and author. He was best known for his roles in the 1960s sitcoms Car 54, Where Are You? and as Herman Munster in The Munsters, as well as his later roles in The Cotton Club, Pet Sematary, and My Cousin Vinny. During World War II, Fred served in the United States Navy as a radioman on a submarine chaser. He later studied art before attending Harvard, where he was affiliated with Adams House, graduating in 1951. He was a member of the Fly Club, sang with the a cappella group the Harvard Krokodiloes,and was a cartoonist for the Harvard Lampoon. In 1952, Gwynne married socialite Jean "Foxy" Reynard and before divorcing in 1980, the couple had five children. In 1988, Gwynne married Deborah Flater. Fred Gwynne died of complications from pancreatic cancer in the cigar room at his home in Taneytown, Maryland, eight days short of his 67th birthday.

Richard Kiel

September 1939 - September 2014

Richard Kiel

Richard was an American actor and voice artist. Standing 7 ft 2 in tall. He was known for his role as Jaws in the James Bond franchise, portraying the character in The Spy Who Loved Me, and Moonraker. Other notable films include The Longest Yard, Cannonball Run II, Pale Rider, and Tangled. Before becoming an actor, Richard worked in several jobs, including working as a nightclub bouncer and as a cemetery plot salesman. His first marriage was to Faye Daniels in 1960. They divorced in the early 1970s and he later married Diane Rogers. They had four children and nine grandchildren. Richard was a born-again Christian. His website states his religious conversion helped him to overcome alcoholism.

Paul Benedict

September 1938 - December 2008

Paul Benedict

Paul was an American actor who made numerous appearances in television and movies beginning in 1965. He was known for his roles as The Number Painter on the PBS children's show Sesame Street and as the English neighbor, Harry Bentley, on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons. Paul served a tour of duty in the United States Marine Corps. He was first diagnosed with acromegaly by an endocrinologist who saw Benedict in a theatrical production. On December 1, 2008, Paul was found dead of natural causes at his home in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. He was 70 years old. He was awarded a posthumous Elliot Norton Award by the Boston Theater Critics Association in 2009.