Vierimaa, Outi; Georgitsi, Marianthi; Lehtonen, Rainer; Vahteristo, Pia; Kokko, Antti; Raitila, Anniina; Tuppurainen, Karoliina; Ebeling, Tapani M. L.; Salmela, Pasi I. (26 May 2006). "Pituitary Adenoma Predisposition Caused by Germline Mutations in the AIP Gene". Science. 312 (5777): 1228–1230. Bibcode: 2006Sci...312.1228V. doi: 10.1126/science.1126100. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 16728643. S2CID 37013760. In general, people who are older at diagnosis tend to have more complications than people who are diagnosed at a younger age, probably due to longer exposure to excess growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1.

Ina-Salwany, M.Y.; Al-saari, N.; Mohamad, A.; Mursidi, F.-A.; Mohd-Aris, A.; Amal, M.N.A.; Kasai, H.; Mino, S.; Sawabe, T.; Zamri-Saad, M. Vibriosis in Fish: A Review on Disease Development and Prevention. J. Aquat. Anim. Health 2019, 31, 3–22. [ Google Scholar] [ CrossRef] Because of this, it’s essential to talk to your child’s healthcare provider as soon as possible if you’re noticing abnormal or unexpected changes in their growth and/or physical features. What is the life expectancy of someone with gigantism? Growth hormone (GH) regulates growth during childhood by promoting measured bone, muscle and tissue growth and helping to control metabolism. Growth is normally a relatively stable process until a child reaches puberty. Long-term complications that some people with gigantism might experience due to excessive height and the overall effects of excess growth hormone include:Capatina, Cristina; Wass, John A. H. (August 2015). "60 YEARS OF NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY: Acromegaly". The Journal of Endocrinology. 226 (2): T141–160. doi: 10.1530/JOE-15-0109. ISSN 1479-6805. PMID 26136383. Many children with gigantism have a genetic mutation that causes the pituitary tumor to form. The most common genetic mutations associated with gigantism are AIP gene mutations or deletions, making up approximately 29% of the population of people with gigantism. In cases of gigantism, a child grows very rapidly and significantly more than other children of the same sex and age. But gigantism can still be difficult for parents to detect since symptoms of gigantism might seem like normal childhood growth spurts at first. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Amlacher, E.; Conroy, D.A.; Herman, R.L. Textbook of Fish Diseases; TFH Publications: Neptune City, NJ, USA, 1970; p. 302. [ Google Scholar] Pegvisomant is one pharmaceutical drug which has received attention for being a possible treatment route for gigantism. Reduction of the levels of IGF-I as a result of pegvisomant administration can be incredibly beneficial for the pediatric gigantism patients. [22] Once your growth plates have fused, excess GH causes acromegaly. In this case, you don’t grow in height, but the excess GH affects your bones’ shape and your organ size as well as other health factors.Carney complex is an inherited condition that causes noncancerous tumors on connective tissue, cancerous or noncancerous endocrine tumors, and spots of darker skin.

Excessive amounts of growth hormone (GH) cause the signs and symptoms of gigantism. Children with gigantism can also develop certain symptoms as their pituitary tumor applies pressure to their nearby brain and nerve tissues. The main sign of gigantism is excessive growth. Children with gigantism grow rapidly in height.Glucose tolerance test: This test can assess whether your child’s growth hormone levels react to glucose (sugar) the way they should. For this test, a provider will draw blood samples from your child’s vein at different intervals after your child drinks a glucose (sugar) solution. McCune-Albright syndrome causes abnormal growth in bone tissue, patches of light-brown skin, and gland abnormalities. Feels like temperature considers other factors, such as wind speed and humidity. This gives you a better Multiple endocrine neoplasias (MEN) type 1 or type 4: These are genetic conditions in which one or more of your endocrine glands are overactive and/or form a tumor, which can include a GH-secreting pituitary tumor.