Pachydermoperiostosis – Mimic to acromegaly

Abstract

Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (HOA) is a clinical syndrome that causes clubbing of the fingers and toes, enlargement of the extremities and pain and swelling of the joints. Patients may have one or more of these manifestations. The syndrome can be primary or secondary. The primary idiopathic form of HOA is called as pachydermoperiostosis (PDP).1 It is characterized by clubbing of the digits of both hands and feet, pachydermia (thickening of the facial skin and/or scalp), and periostosis (swelling of periarticular tissue and subperiosteal new bone formation).2 It is a rare genetic disorder with autosomal dominant transmission; however, autosomal recessive forms have been reported.3 It occurs predominantly in men and has been reported in many races. Here, we report a young male patient diagnosed to have PDP with delayed puberty at our tertiary care center.