Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Acromegaly causes
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Common causes of acromegaly include pituitary adenoma and acidophil stem cell adenomas. Less common causes of acromegaly include GHRH secreting tumors as hypothalamic tumors, small cell lung cancer, adrenal adenoma, and pheochromocytoma. Other causes include GH secreting tumors as lymphoma and pancreatic islet cell tumor.
Causes
Causes
Common Causes
Acromegaly may be caused by:
- Pituitary adenoma:[1]
- It is the most common cause of acromegaly.
- A secretory pituitary adenoma is responsible for acromegaly by excess secretion of the growth hormone and the insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).
- Other types of pituitary adenomas causing acromegaly:
- Mixed growth hormone and prolactin cell adenomas
- Acidophil stem cell adenomas
- Mammosomatotroph cell adenomas
- Pleurihormonal adenomas
Less Common Causes
Less common causes of acromegaly include:[1]
- Hypothalamic tumors which secrete growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH).
- Ectopic tumor secretion of GHRH. These tumors include the following:
- Ectopic tumor secretion of GH. These tumors include the following:
Genetic Causes
- Acromegaly is caused by a mutation in the guanine nucleotide stimulatory protein gene which is responsible for pituitary adenomas.[2]
References
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Melmed S, Braunstein GD, Horvath E, Ezrin C, Kovacs K (1983). “Pathophysiology of acromegaly”. Endocr Rev. 4 (3): 271–90. doi:10.1210/edrv-4-3-271. PMID 6354702.
- ↑ Landis CA, Masters SB, Spada A, Pace AM, Bourne HR, Vallar L (1989). “GTPase inhibiting mutations activate the alpha chain of Gs and stimulate adenylyl cyclase in human pituitary tumours”. Nature. 340 (6236): 692–6. doi:10.1038/340692a0. PMID 2549426.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ahmed Elsaiey, MBBCH [2]