Acromegaly is a
disease caused by
excess production of
human growth hormone by the
pituitary gland that begins in
adulthood. If the hormonal
disorder begins in childhood, the resulting condition is called
gigantism.
At adulthood, the bones are no longer able to grow longer, so they grow thicker instead, which is particularly noticeable in the case of small bones in the hands and feet, and in the skull, and the disease is characterized by deformities in these parts of the body.
Acromegaly is often initiated by cancer of the pituitary gland, and treatment consist of radiation therapy or removal of the gland, combined with hormone therapy. Like gigantism, acromegaly is often accompanied by other hormonal disorders that must also be treated.