A 55-year-old male presents with headache and visual field changes. He is 6½ ft tall and has a puffy face. His skin on hands and feet is thickened, and compared to a picture of him at age 30, his nose, ears and jaw seem larger. His teeth are separated (diastema). He seems to sweat more and complains of bad sleep. Which of the following would provide the greatest therapeutic benefit in this patient?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient is likely suffering from acromegaly, caused by excess growth hormone, often due to a pituitary adenoma. Somatostatin analogs can inhibit growth hormone release, providing therapeutic benefit.  The symptoms are consistent with acromegaly. It is a rare disease resulting from chronic exposure to growth hormone in adulthood and presents with elevated serum growth hormone levels and elevated serum IGF-1 levels. One treatment option for acromegaly is medication with somatostatin analogues. These synthetic forms have a longer half-life than the normal polypeptide hormone, which is also called somatotropin release-inhibiting factor (SRIF).

A 55-Year-Old Male Presents with Headache and Visual Field Changes