Definition

Noun: A chronic medical disorder characterized by the progressive enlargement and thickening of the bones of the hands, feet, and face. This condition is caused by excessive production of growth hormone, typically from a benign tumor of the pituitary gland, and is often accompanied by symptoms such as headaches, muscle pain, and emotional changes.

Examples

• The patient was diagnosed with acromegalia after presenting with characteristic facial feature changes and enlarged extremities.
• Untreated acromegalia can lead to serious complications, including cardiovascular disease and arthritis.
• The endocrinologist specializes in treating hormonal disorders like acromegalia.

Advanced Usage

• Medical Diagnosis: The term is used almost exclusively in medical and clinical contexts to describe the specific syndrome of growth hormone excess occurring after the closure of the growth plates (epiphyses).
• Pathophysiology: In medical literature, acromegalia is discussed in relation to its etiology (pituitary adenoma), its biochemical diagnosis (elevated IGF-1 levels), and its treatment modalities (surgery, medication, radiation).

Variants and Related Words

• Acromegaly (noun): The more commonly used synonym for acromegalia. The two terms are interchangeable.
• Acromegalic (adjective): Pertaining to or affected by acromegalia.
  • The scan showed an acromegalic pattern of bone growth.

Synonyms

• Acromegaly: The direct and most frequent synonym.
• Marie's disease: An older, eponymous term (after the physician Pierre Marie) that is rarely used in modern practice.

Notes on Meaning

• Distinction from Gigantism: Acromegalia specifically refers to growth hormone excess that begins in adulthood, after the growth plates have fused. If the same hormonal overproduction occurs in childhood before growth plates close, it results in proportional overgrowth of the entire body, a condition known as gigantism.

Noun

1. enlargement of bones of hands and feet and face; often accompanied by headache and muscle pain and emotional disturbances; caused by overproduction of growth hormone by the anterior pituitary gland (due to a tumor)