Enlarged Growth and Pituitary Essay

What is the most likely diagnosis?

John is believed to be suffering from gigantism or acromegaly.

Symptoms of acromegaly

The term 'acromegaly' has its roots in the Greek terms for "enlargement" and "extremities"; these terms reflect one among the ailment's most commonly occurring signs of abnormally expanding feet and hands (Marieb & Hoehn, 2018a; 2018b). Swollen feet and hands typically manifest as an initial sign. Those suffering from the acromegaly notice changes in their shoe or ring sizes, especially shoe width. Slowly, changes in the bone begin to transform their facial features, with their lower jaw and brow protruding, spacing out of the teeth, and enlargement of their nasal bone (Colao et al., 2019).

Abnormal cartilage and bone growth frequently results in arthritis. Tissue thickening can trap nerves and result in the development of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) that in turn produces weakening and numbness of hands. Enlargement may also occur in the heart and other body organs.

Acromegaly patients also display the following symptoms (Colao et al., 2019);

· Joint aches

· Skin tags

· Thick, oily, and rough skin

· Enlarged nose, tongue and lips

· Tiredness and frailty

· A deeper voice because of vocal cords and sinus enlargement

· Vision impairment

· Headache

· Lower sex drive

· Sleep apnea- airway obstruction resulting in broken breathing when asleep

· Excessive skin odor and sweating

· Erectile dysfunction among men

· Occasional breast discharge and abnormal menstrual cycle among women

The likely diagnosis for…

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…including the GH-releasing hormone that stimulates GH production by the pituitary (Maffezzoni & Formenti, 2018). The GH's release into an individual's bloodstream stimulates liver production of the IGF-I (insulin-like growth factor I) hormone which results in development of tissue throughout the human body. High IGF-I levels successively indicate to the pituitary gland to decrease production of GH.

A second hormone - somatostatin - is produced by the hypothalamus for curbing GH production/secretion. Usually, levels of GH, GH-releasing hormone, IGF-I and somatostatin within the human body are controlled closely by one another, as well as through exercise, sleep, diet, blood glucose levels, and stress. If GH is continually produced independent of normal regulatory systems, the IGF-I level in the body continually increases and results in enlarged organs and bone overgrowth (Maffezzoni & Formenti, 2018; Melmed,…