Acromegaly associated with gangliocytoma.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Acromegaly secondary to growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) excess is rare.

AIMS/CASE DESCRIPTION:

We report two patients with acromegaly who were diagnosed with sellar gangliocytomas that were immunopositive for GHRH. Tumour tissue persisted after debulking surgery and in the second case this was associated with persistent growth hormone hypersecretion, successfully suppressed by a somatostatin analogue.

CONCLUSIONS:

The development of functional pituitary adenomas in association with sellar gangliocytomas is poorly understood. We present a brief discussion of the possible aetiology of these unusual pituitary tumours.

• Authors: R K Crowley, Y Al-Derazi, K Lynch, D Rawluk, C J Thompson, M Farrell, A Agha
• Journal: Irish journal of medical science (Ir J Med Sci) Vol. 181 Issue 3 Pg. 353-5 (Sep 2012) ISSN: 1863-4362 [Electronic] Ireland
• PMID: 19789938 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone

Topics

• Acromegaly (etiology)
• Adenoma (complications, diagnostic imaging, metabolism)
• Ganglioneuroma (complications, diagnostic imaging, metabolism)
• Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone (metabolism)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Pituitary Neoplasms (complications, diagnostic imaging, metabolism)
• Radiography