Disappearance of a GH Secreting Macroadenoma, during Long-term Somatostatin Analogue Administration

Abstract

Acromegaly is caused by excessive growth hormone secretion, usually from a pituitary adenoma. Increased mortality rate is reverted to that of the normal population after decreasing GH and IGF-I levels to less than 2-2.5 microg/liter and normal sex- and age-matched controls, respectively, regardless of the treatment employed. The use of somatostatin analogues as primary or adjunctive therapy has been widely applied in the management of acromegaly. A few cases have been reported in the literature, complete shrinkage of a pituitary GH secreting macroadenoma after long-term somatostatin analogue administration. We report a patient in whom long term (60 months) octreotide-L.A.R administration resulted in complete disappearance of a growth hormone secreting pituitary macroadenoma.