Gigantism

The condition of accelerated and excessive GROWTH in children or adolescents who are exposed to excess HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE before the closure of EPIPHYSES. It is usually caused by somatotroph hyperplasia or a GROWTH HORMONE-SECRETING PITUITARY ADENOMA. These patients are of abnormally tall stature, more than 3 standard deviations above normal mean height for age.

Also Known As:

Networked: 201 relevant articles (6 outcomes, 7 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Acromegaly
2.	Pituitary Neoplasms (Pituitary Adenoma)
3.	Adenoma (Adenomas)
4.	Stroke (Strokes)
5.	Carney Complex

Experts

1.	Trivellin, Giampaolo: 3 articles (02/2016 - 01/2012)
2.	Ebert, Dieter: 3 articles (04/2015 - 11/2004)
3.	Sun, Cheng: 3 articles (01/2014 - 01/2012)
4.	Mueller, Rachel Lockridge: 3 articles (01/2014 - 01/2012)
5.	Stratakis, Constantine A: 2 articles (02/2016 - 12/2014)
6.	Daly, Adrian F: 2 articles (12/2015 - 12/2014)
7.	Beckers, Albert: 2 articles (12/2015 - 12/2014)
8.	Rostomyan, Liliya: 2 articles (12/2015 - 12/2014)
9.	Zatelli, Maria Chiara: 2 articles (12/2014 - 09/2005)
10.	Peng, Ying: 2 articles (06/2014 - 08/2013)

Drugs and Biologics

Drugs and Important Biological Agents (IBA) related to Gigantism:

1.	Growth Hormone (Somatotropin)IBA 01/01/2015 - "Pituitary gigantism is a rare endocrine disorder caused by hypersecretion of growth hormone during growing period. " 12/18/2014 - "We describe a pediatric disorder (which we have termed X-linked acrogigantism [X-LAG]) that is caused by an Xq26.3 genomic duplication and is characterized by early-onset gigantism resulting from an excess of growth hormone. " 01/01/2007 - "Pituitary gigantism, a condition of endogenous growth hormone (GH) hypersecretion prior to epiphyseal closure, is a rare condition. " 10/01/2004 - "We report the case of 19-year-old man with pituitary gigantism due to growth hormone-producing pituitary macroadenoma. " 12/01/2001 - "Gigantism with low or normal basal concentrations of growth hormone (GH) is a rare condition, possibly due to abnormal GH secretory patterns, enhanced tissue sensitivity to GH, or the existence of an unidentified growth promoting factor. "
2.	Octreotide (Sandostatin)FDA LinkGeneric 01/01/2004 - "After 1 year of treatment with octreotide-LAR, the GH level was 1.0 microg/l, and the prospective final height dropped by 10 cm. This case demonstrates that combined surgical and medical treatment can influence the prognosis of childhood gigantism; however, the prognosis of this rare condition remains uncertain." 01/01/1999 - "Suppression of GH secretion in pituitary gigantism by continuous subcutaneous octreotide infusion in a pubertal boy." 02/01/2011 - "Complete biochemical control and pituitary adenoma disappearance in a child with gigantism: efficacy of octreotide therapy." 07/20/1989 - "SMS 201-995 appears to be an effective agent for the treatment of acromegaly and gigantism." 02/20/1992 - "Our study suggests that octreotide is an effective and relatively safe new approach for treating active acromegaly and gigantism."
3.	Insulin-Like Growth Factor I (IGF-1)IBA 09/01/2005 - "The aim of the study was to evaluate the long-term effects of early exposure to GH and IGF-I excess on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters in adult patients with pituitary gigantism. " 09/01/2005 - "Concentrations of IGF-I were significantly (P<.05) higher in patients with gigantism who have cardiac abnormalities than in those without cardiac abnormalities. " 03/01/1995 - "In this case, non-pulsatile GH secretion and enhanced tissue sensitivity to GH may induce hypersecretion of IGF-I and cause clinical acromegalic gigantism." 01/01/1995 - "These changes resemble but are less prominent than those seen in mice transgenic for MT/hGH in which hGH is produced in many tissues, blood hGH and IGF-I are elevated and gigantism develops. " 09/01/2010 - "In mice, IGF-1 deficiency is associated with dwarfism, whereas IGF-1 overproduction in transgenic animals causes gigantism. "
4.	pegvisomantFDA LinkGeneric 08/01/2008 - "The objective of the study was to describe the results of therapy of three children with pituitary gigantism by a GH receptor antagonist, pegvisomant. " 08/01/2008 - "Pegvisomant may be an effective modality for the therapy of pituitary gigantism in children. " 03/01/2007 - "Pegvisomant is a potent treatment option in patients with pituitary gigantism. " 08/01/2005 - "To evaluate the ability of pegvisomant therapy to control the effects of peripheral GH excess in a case of pituitary gigantism. " 08/01/2005 - "Pegvisomant therapy in pituitary gigantism: successful treatment in a 12-year-old girl."
5.	lanreotide (Somatuline)FDA Link 01/01/2013 - "Efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of sustained-release lanreotide (lanreotide Autogel) in Japanese patients with acromegaly or pituitary gigantism." 01/01/2013 - "In an open-label, long-term study, 32 patients (30 with acromegaly, 2 with pituitary gigantism) received lanreotide Autogel once every 4 weeks for a total of 13 injections. " 01/01/2013 - "In an open-label, parallel-group, dose-response study, 32 patients (29 with acromegaly, 3 with pituitary gigantism) received 5 injections of 60, 90, or 120 mg of lanreotide Autogel over 24 weeks. " 01/01/2013 - "In conclusion, lanreotide Autogel provided early and sustained control of elevated GH and IGF-I levels, improved acromegaly symptoms, and was well tolerated in Japanese patients with acromegaly or pituitary gigantism."
6.	ProlactinIBA 12/01/2011 - "All three family members had very early onset of gigantism associated with abnormally high serum levels of GH and prolactin. " 12/01/2011 - "A mother and both her sons had very early-onset gigantism associated with high levels of serum GH and prolactin. " 01/01/1986 - "True gigantism with overproduction of growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) was diagnosed in a 13-year-old boy. " 09/01/1985 - "True gigantism with overproduction of growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) was diagnosed in two boys, aged 13 years (case I) and 7 1/2 years (case II). " 06/01/1979 - "Gigantism associated with a pituitary tumour secreting growth hormone and prolactin and cured by transsphenoidal hypophysectomy."
7.	Somatotropin Receptors (Growth Hormone Receptor)IBA 03/01/2013 - "Pituitary gigantism treated successfully with the growth hormone receptor antagonist, pegvisomant." 08/01/2008 - "Treatment of pituitary gigantism with the growth hormone receptor antagonist pegvisomant." 09/01/2010 - "Excessive activation of the growth hormone receptor by circulating growth hormone results in gigantism and acromegaly, whereas cell transformation and cancer can occur in response to autocrine activation of the receptor. "
8.	aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting proteinIBA 10/01/2014 - "A novel germline mutation in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-interacting protein (AIP) gene in an Italian family with gigantism." 01/01/2012 - "Mutations of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein (AIP) have been associated with familial isolated pituitary adenomas predisposing to young-onset acromegaly and gigantism. " 02/01/2016 - "Prior studies have identified gigantism as a feature of a number of monogenic disorders, including mutations in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein gene, multiple endocrine neoplasia types 1 and 4, McCune Albright syndrome, Carney complex, and the paraganglioma, pheochromocytoma, and pituitary adenoma association because of succinate dehydrogenase defects. "
9.	Succinate Dehydrogenase (Fumarate Reductase)IBA 02/01/2016 - "Prior studies have identified gigantism as a feature of a number of monogenic disorders, including mutations in the aryl hydrocarbon receptor interacting protein gene, multiple endocrine neoplasia types 1 and 4, McCune Albright syndrome, Carney complex, and the paraganglioma, pheochromocytoma, and pituitary adenoma association because of succinate dehydrogenase defects. "
10.	OxygenIBA 07/03/2012 - "Biotic interactions modify the effects of oxygen on insect gigantism." 07/03/2012 - "Gigantism has been linked to hyperoxic conditions because oxygen concentration is a key physiological control on body size, particularly in groups like flying insects that have high metabolic oxygen demands. " 01/01/2011 - "These findings extend the generality of the hypothesis of oxygen limitation of thermal tolerance, suggest that oxygen constraints on body size may be stronger in aquatic environments, and that oxygen toxicity may have actively selected for gigantism in the aquatic stages of Carboniferous arthropods." 01/01/2011 - "Furthermore, a central role for oxygen limitation in insects is envisaged within a parallel line of research focussing on insect gigantism in the late Palaeozoic. " 01/01/2011 - "Can oxygen set thermal limits in an insect and drive gigantism?"

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Hypophysectomy 10/01/1981 - "Pituitary gigantism in a 31 month old girl: endocrine studies and successful response to hypophysectomy." 04/01/1966 - "Mitochondrial gigantism in the adrenal cortex following hypophysectomy." 06/01/1979 - "Gigantism associated with a pituitary tumour secreting growth hormone and prolactin and cured by transsphenoidal hypophysectomy."
2.	Injections 01/01/2013 - "In an open-label, long-term study, 32 patients (30 with acromegaly, 2 with pituitary gigantism) received lanreotide Autogel once every 4 weeks for a total of 13 injections. " 01/01/2013 - "In an open-label, parallel-group, dose-response study, 32 patients (29 with acromegaly, 3 with pituitary gigantism) received 5 injections of 60, 90, or 120 mg of lanreotide Autogel over 24 weeks. "
3.	Castration 01/01/2012 - "However, only in females does parasite-induced castration result in the gigantism that increases the carrying capacity for the proliferating parasite. " 08/01/2007 - "Such castration can be accompanied by gigantism (unusually large growth of infected hosts), long infectious periods, and fecundity compensation (where, before heavy parasite burdens ensue, newly infected hosts reproduce earlier/more than they would if not infected). " 09/01/2006 - "In certain circumstances, the pathogen may even be able to manipulate the host to redirect resources away from reproduction and toward maintenance through castration, causing gigantism." 11/01/2004 - "A verbal model is presented and suggests that the adaptive value of gigantism is to store host resources, which are liberated after parasitic castration for later use by the growing parasite. " 11/01/2004 - "The evolution of virulence when parasites cause host castration and gigantism."
4.	Amputation 01/01/2004 - "Localized gigantism poses a challenging surgical dilemma, and it may be treated with amputation. " 07/01/2003 - "We present the case of a neural fibrolipoma of the foot that underwent above-ankle amputation and review the characteristic features of this unique form of localized gigantism." 01/01/2002 - "Operative treatment of 1 case of the foot gigantism connected a resection of the IV and V metatarsals, a removal of the III metatarsal, an epiphysiodesis of II metatarsal and an amputation of all toes at the MIP joint level. " 08/01/2015 - "Most of the children had congenital hand defects-122 children (87 %): 96 children (79 %) with ectrodactylia, adactylia, hypoplasia, aplasia, hand splitting, club hand, or partial gigantism; 26 children (21 %) with congenital syndactylism and constricted bonds and 18 children (13 %) with acquired defects (burn deformity, amputation). "
5.	Radiotherapy 08/01/1952 - "Visual field defects in gigantism: report of a case showing improvement following radiotherapy." 09/01/2011 - "We present two cases of a 31 and 44 years old male with gigantism and acromegaly that were controlled subsequently by surgery, radiotherapy, SRIF analogs and daily PEG-V treatment. " 04/01/2014 - "One of the two index cases presented with gigantism and pituitary apoplexy, the other presented with young-onset acromegaly, and both had surgery and radiotherapy. "