acromegaly

/,ækrə'megəli/

Thân thiện

A doctor shows a patient an X-ray image of a hand affected by acromegaly.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A medical condition characterized by abnormal enlargement of the bones in the hands, feet, and face: Acromegaly is a chronic disorder resulting from excessive production of growth hormone, typically by a benign tumor of the pituitary gland. This overproduction occurs after the growth plates have closed, leading to disproportionate bone growth rather than increased height.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The patient was diagnosed with acromegaly after presenting with enlarged hands and facial features.
  • Persistent headaches and joint pain can be symptoms of acromegaly.
  • Treatment for acromegaly often focuses on reducing the excess growth hormone production.

Advanced Usage

• "to suffer from acromegaly": to have the medical condition.

  • The actor's distinctive appearance was due to his suffering from acromegaly.

• "the onset of acromegaly": the beginning or initial development of the condition.

  • The onset of acromegaly is usually gradual, making early diagnosis difficult.

Variants and Related Words

• Acromegalic (adj): Pertaining to or affected by acromegaly.

  • The doctor identified acromegalic features in the patient's profile.

• Acromegalia (n): An alternative, less common term for acromegaly.

  • Acromegalia is the preferred term in some older medical texts.

Synonyms

• Gigantism (in a specific context): While gigantism refers to excessive growth hormone production growth plate closure (leading to excessive height), it is sometimes used loosely in relation to the same hormonal cause. However, acromegaly is the precise term for the condition developing in adulthood.

Related Phrases and Terms

• Growth hormone (GH): The hormone whose overproduction causes acromegaly.

  • The tumor was secreting an excessive amount of growth hormone, leading to acromegaly.

• Pituitary adenoma: The type of benign tumor most commonly responsible for acromegaly.

  • Surgery to remove the pituitary adenoma is a common treatment for acromegaly.

Học thuật

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)

Từ đồng nghĩa

• acromegalia