gigantism

Also known as giantism, anterior pituitary hyperfunction, pituitary gigantism, infantile and juvenile forms of acromegaly, hypophyseal gigantism

Gigantism ( ; from , plural: ), also known as giantism, is a condition characterized by excessive growth and height significantly above average. Technically, it includes humans with height at least three standard deviations above the mean, i.e., 198 cm (6'6") for men and 183 cm (6'0") for women. This condition is caused by over-production of growth hormone in childhood.

Key facts

Medical condition (new).complications: Excessive sweating, delayed puberty, weakness and severe or recurrent headaches, strokes, vomiting or nausea, high fevers, daytime sleepiness or narcolepsy, dry mouth, frequent diarrheas, stomachaches, ear pains, memory loss, back pains, excessive muscle cramps, chest pains
Medical condition (new).causes: Hyperplasia in the pituitary gland
Medical condition (new).treatment: Surgically remove the enlarged pituitary gland
Medical condition (new).medication: Octreotide, lanreotide or pegvisomant
Medical condition (new).image_size: 220
Medical condition (new).name: Gigantism
Medical condition (new).synonyms: Giantism
Medical condition (new).image: Robert_Wadlow_postcard.jpg
Medical condition (new).caption: Robert Wadlow stood at . He is pictured here with his father, who was tall.
Medical condition (new).field: Endocrinology

~8 min read

Article

11 sections

Contents

Cause
Hormonal cause
Diagnostic testing
Genetics
Treatment
Pharmaceuticals
Terminology
See also
References
Bibliography
External links

It is a rare disorder resulting from increased levels of growth hormone before the fusion of the growth plate which usually occurs at some point soon after puberty. This increase is most often due to abnormal tumor growths on the pituitary gland. Gigantism should not be confused with acromegaly, the adult form of the disorder, characterized by somatic enlargement specifically in the extremities and face.