Gigantism

Some people are taller than normal, but in the case of gigantism, the person becomes so extremely tall that they look gigantic.

Gigantism

Gigantism is a problem in the pituitary gland that causes it to produce elevated amounts of the growth hormone (GH), which is responsible for promoting growth in children.

Gigantism is a very rare condition, and it affects males more than females.

Causes of gigantism

• Most of the time, gigantism occurs due to a benign tumor on the pituitary gland.
• Some gigantism conditions might happen due to pituitary hyperplasia (enlarged pituitary gland).
• Genetic mutations.
• Some genetic disorders might be accompanied by gigantism.

Symptoms of gigantism

Physical symptoms of gigantism include:

• Excessive growth.
• Growing in height rapidly.
• The forehead and the jaw are very prominent.
• Thickening in the features of the face.
• Gaps between the teeth.
• Huge hands and feet in addition to thick fingers and toes.

Other symptoms of gigantism include:

• Excessive sweating.
• Enlarged internal organs, especially the heart.
• Delayed puberty.
• Difficulty with the peripheral vision.
• Double vision.
• Joint pain.
• Muscle weakness.
• Sleeping problems.
• Irregular periods in females.
• Headaches.
• Gigantism could lead to mobility problems due to muscle weakness, osteoarthritis, peripheral neuropathy, metabolic complications like type 2 diabetes, cardiomegaly, and heart valve issues.

Diagnosis of gigantism

• Physical exam.
• Blood tests.
• Imaging tests.

Treatment of gigantism

• To treat gigantism, the tumor on the pituitary gland is removed, usually by using surgery and radiation therapy together.