What is gigantism?

Gigantism describes accelerated growth in childhood due to the productionón excess growth hormone.

By definitionón, gigantism must occur during childhood before the growth plates in the long bones of the body (for instance, el fémur or the húmero) have closed. In adults, the affectionón is called acromegaly.

Gigantism is más frequently caused by a tumor benign in the glápituitary ndula called pituitary adenoma. Nevertheless, spaghettién can be caused by the following disorders:

• Neurofibromatosis
• He síndrome de McCune-Albright (BUT)
• Carney complex
• Type of endocrine neoplasia múmultiple 1

¿Cuáthey are the signs and sísymptoms of gigantism?

• abnormally tall stature
• abnormal growth of the face, hands and feet
• thickening of facial features
• irregular menstrual cycle
• Breatheón excessive with light activity
• delayed puberty
• Everyoneón doble
• Deafness
• Headache

¿CóHow is gigantism diagnosed??

magnetic resonanceética (RM) used to determine the sizeñor and the locationón of your child's tumor, if the disease is suspected to be caused by a pituitary adenoma.

On the other hand, several stilláblood lysis can provide a diagnosisóstico.

High levels of prolactin or increased amounts of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) can you suggest the acromegalia, as do high levels of growth hormone in the blood afteréwith de la administrationón oral large dose of glucose.

low cortisol levels, thyroid hormone, testosterone (in the niños), y estradiol (in the niñas) spaghettiéthey can suggest the participationón de la glápituitary gland.

¿It's very común gigantism?

Gigantism is a conditionón extremely rare that sóit is presented in niños. Near 100 cases have been reported only in the United States.

Gigantism has been reported to occurón in a proportionón female to male 1:2.

¿Whaté types of treatmentsán available to treat gigantism?

the surgeryía is the best form of treatment and cures the 80% of cases of gigantism.

Your child's surgeon will haveá access to your glápituitary gland using the transsphenoidal approach so named because the route crosses the sphenoid bone. This bone isá located behindás from the nose of the childñO, especially within your cráneo.

With the use of surgical instrumentsúprecise rgics, the surgeon willá one engravedón a través from your child's nasal cavity to create an opening in the sphenoid bone.

Once  the surgeon has access to the sphenoid sinus (the áarea full of itíwhyás of the sphenoid bone), see youán más incisions until a hole is created in the sella turcica, the bone that cradles and protects the glápituitary gland.

afterés that the glándula pituitary of your child isé in the operating field, removal can be doneótumor no.. Your child's surgeon will useá a great extensionón to distinguish fáeasily from normal pituitary tissue to that of the tumor.

Once the tumor has been removed, your son's surgeon to cleaná the tumor cavity and seal itá.

There are two types of surgeryía for adenomas; microcirugíand surgeryía endoscópica.

What can cause back pain due to alterations or inflammation in the area of ​​​​the injury microcirugía a powerful chir microscope is usedúto help the surgeon distinguish between minute structures within and around the gliaápituitary gland.

On the other hand, the cirugía endoscópica use smallñthe tubes and a smallña cámara to help the surgeon remove the tumor in small piecesños.

The biggestíof patients can go home on dídespoés of the surgeryíto for removalón of a pituitary adenoma, and nasal packing is rarely necessary.