Challenges in the diagnosis and management of acromegaly: a focus on comorbidities.

INTRODUCTION: Acromegaly is a rare, insidious disease resulting from the overproduction of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and is associated with a range of comorbidities. The extent of associated complications and mortality risk is related to length of exposure to the excess GH and IGF-1, thus early diagnosis and treatment is imperative. Unfortunately, acromegaly is often diagnosed late, when patients already have a wide range of comorbidities. The presence of comorbid conditions contributes significantly to patient morbidity/mortality and impaired quality of life. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective literature review for information relating to the diagnosis of acromegaly, and its associated comorbidities using PubMed. The main aim of this review is to highlight the issues of comorbidities in acromegaly, and to reinforce the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: Successful management of acromegaly goes beyond treating the disease itself, since many patients are diagnosed late in disease evolution, they present with a range of comorbid conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea. It is important that patients are screened carefully at diagnosis (and thereafter), for common associated complications, and that biochemical control does not become the only treatment goal. Mortality and morbidities in acromegaly can be reduced successfully if patients are treated using a multimodal approach with comprehensive comorbidity management.

A practical approach to acromegaly management in Latin America.

INTRODUCTION: Evidence-based treatment guidelines have undoubtedly advanced medical practice and supported optimal management of acromegaly, but their application may be hampered by limited access to the latest treatment options. METHODS: In this retrospective, narrative review, the authors revisited existing treatment guidelines for acromegaly in Latin America. These were considered in conjunction with published evidence chosen at the authors' discretion. FINDINGS: In a socially and economically diverse region, such as Latin America, any regional practice guidelines need to appreciate that recommended treatment options, such as surgery by expert pituitary surgical teams and drug therapies, especially somatostatin analogs, are often not available due to limited resources. In these instances, physicians may be obliged to apply less effective therapeutic options. CONCLUSIONS: The current article looks at the practical aspects of acromegaly management in Latin America and discusses this in the context of existing guidelines. Furthermore, we consider potential strategies to make better use of resources through combination and multimodal approaches to treatment.

Patient-focussed outcomes in acromegaly.

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (QoL) is severely impaired in acromegaly due to the physical and psychological consequences of the disease. Pharmacological and surgical treatments, when available, can improve QoL and life expectancy. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 34-year-old male with uncontrolled acromegaly due to a large and invasive macroadenoma, which could not be resected by transsphenoidal surgery. Over 9 years, he had limited access to pharmacological interventions and persisted with clinically and biochemically active disease, with severe co-morbidities and a poor QoL, which eventually lead to a premature sudden death. CONCLUSION: This case highlights the impact that active acromegaly has when treatment resources are limited. We review the factors contributing to poor QoL in this disease, with special reference to the Latin American scenario.

The role of primary pharmacological therapy in acromegaly.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Primary pharmacological therapy may be the only viable treatment option for many patients with acromegaly, especially those presenting with advanced disease with large inoperable tumors. Long-acting somatostatin analogs are currently the first-line treatment of choice in this setting, where they provide biochemical control and reduce tumor size in a significant proportion of patients. We herein present a brief overview of the role of primary pharmacological therapy in the treatment of acromegaly within the context of Latin America and support this with a representative case study. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 20 year old male presented with clinical and biochemical evidence of acromegaly. The glucose-suppressed growth hormone (GH) was 5.3 µg/L, his insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1) was 3.5 times the ULN and serum prolactin greater than 4,000 µg/L. Pituitary MRI revealed a large and invasive mass, extending superiorly into the optic chiasm and laterally into the left cavernous sinus. He was treated with a combination of octreotide and cabergoline with remarkable clinical improvement, normalization of GH and IGF-1 values and striking shrinkage of the adenoma. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates how effective the pharmacological therapy of acromegaly can be and yet at the same time, raises several important issues such as the need for life-long treatment with costly medications such as the somatostatin analogs. Access to these agents may be limited in regions where resources are restricted and clinicians face challenges in order to make the most efficient use of available options.