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Gigantism |
Classification and external resources |
Robert Wadlow, the tallest man known to have lived (2.72 metres or 8 feet 11 inches) with his father, Harold Wadlow (1.82 metres or 6 feet 0 inches)
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ICD-10 |
E22.0, E34.4 |
ICD-9 |
253.0 |
DiseasesDB |
30730 |
MedlinePlus |
001174 |
MeSH |
D005877 |
Gigantism, also known as giantism (from Greek γίγας gigas, "giant", plural γίγαντες gigantes), is a condition characterized by excessive growth and height significantly above average. In humans, this condition is caused by over-production of growth hormone[1] in childhood resulting in persons between 7 feet (84 inches) (2.13 m) and 9 feet (108 inches) (2.74 m) in height.
Contents
- 1 Terminology
- 2 In history, art and literature
- 3 Diagnosis
- 4 See also
- 5 References
- 6 External links
Terminology[edit]
Giantess Anna Swan with her parents
The term is typically applied to those whose height is not just in the upper 1% of the population but several standard deviations above mean for persons of the same sex, age, and ethnic ancestry. The term is seldom applied to those who are simply "tall" or "above average" whose heights appear to be the healthy result of normal genetics and nutrition. Gigantism is usually caused by a tumor on the pituitary gland of the brain. It causes growth of the hands, face, and feet.[2] In some cases the condition can be passed on genetically through a mutated gene.[3]
Other names somewhat obsolete for this pathology are hypersoma (Greek: hyper over the normal level; soma body) and somatomegaly (Greek; soma body, genitive somatos of the body; megas, gen. megalou great). In the past, while many of them were social outcasts because of their height, some (usually unintentionally) found employment in Friedrich Wilhelm I's famous Potsdam Giants regiment.
Many of those who have been identified with gigantism have suffered from multiple health issues involving their circulatory or skeletal system.
Giant Gonzales was a wrestler who had giant syndrome illness like other wrestlers such as Andre Rene Roussimoff and Dalip Singh.
In history, art and literature[edit]
Main article: Giant (mythology)
Reports of gigantism exist throughout history, with some nations and tribes taller than others.
The giants of Crete are listed in various historic sources, beginning with Titan, a Greek mythological giant, and including Gigantus, after whom giants and gigantism are named.[4] Rhodes is another island where giants were said to have lived, with the Colossus of Rhodes a giant statue of a giant patron god Helios. Goliath, another giant, mentioned in the Bible, was a Philistine warrior who was slain by David in a battle between the Israelites and the Philistines.
Diagnosis[edit]
Hypersecretion of growth hormone causes gigantism in children and acromegaly in adults. Evaluation of growth hormone hypersecretion cannot be excluded with a single normal GH level due to diurnal variation. However, a random blood sample showing markedly elevated GH is adequate for diagnosis of GH hypersecretion. Additionally, a high-normal GH level that fails to suppress with administration of glucose is also sufficient for a diagnosis of GH hypersecretion.[5]
Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) is an excellent test for evaluation of GH hypersecretion. It does not undergo diurnal variation and will thus be consistently elevated in GH hypersecretion and therefore patients with gigantism. A single normal IGF-1 value will reliably exclude GH hypersecretion.[6]
See also[edit]
- Acromegaly
- Deep-sea gigantism
- Dwarfism
- Giant of Castelnau
- Growth hormone
- Homo heidelbergensis
- Island gigantism
- List of humans with gigantism
- List of tallest people
- Local gigantism
- Marfan syndrome
- Megafauna
- Nephilim
- Overgrowth syndrome
References[edit]
- ^ "Gigantism" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
- ^ "Gigantism". Question.com. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
- ^ In a Giant’s Story, a New Chapter Writ by His DNA - By Gina Kolata. The New York Times, January 5, 2011
- ^ It is interesting to note that Goliath is a Greek name and that the Philistines originated from the Greek and other Mediterranean islands.
- ^ De Mais, Daniel. ASCP Quick Compendium of Clinical Pathology, 2nd Ed. ASCP Press, Chicago, 2009.
- ^ De Mais, Daniel. ASCP Quick Compendium of Clinical Pathology, 2nd Ed. ASCP Press, Chicago, 2009.
External links[edit]
- Acromegaly and Gigantism article
- Brief overview of overgrowth syndromes in childhood PDF (2.95 MB)
- Gigantism Clinical Trials from U.S. National Institutes of Health
- Gigantism info from U.S. National Library of Medicine, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services & the National Institutes of Health
- Epidemiology and Pathophysiology info for Healthcare Professionals
- Epidemiology of acromegaly from Pubmed.gov US National Library of Medicine & National Institutes of Health
Endocrine pathology: endocrine diseases (E00–E35, 240–259)
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Pancreas/
glucose
metabolism |
Hypofunction |
- types:
- type 1
- type 2
- MODY 1 2 3 4 5 6
- complications
- coma
- angiopathy
- ketoacidosis
- nephropathy
- neuropathy
- retinopathy
- cardiomyopathy
- insulin receptor (Rabson–Mendenhall syndrome)
- Insulin resistance
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Hyperfunction |
- Hypoglycemia
- beta cell (Hyperinsulinism)
- G cell (Zollinger–Ellison syndrome)
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Hypothalamic/
pituitary axes |
Hypothalamus |
- gonadotropin
- Kallmann syndrome
- Adiposogenital dystrophy
- CRH (Tertiary adrenal insufficiency)
- vasopressin (Neurogenic diabetes insipidus)
- general (Hypothalamic hamartoma)
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Pituitary |
Hyperpituitarism |
- anterior
- Acromegaly
- Hyperprolactinaemia
- Pituitary ACTH hypersecretion
- posterior (SIADH)
- general (Nelson's syndrome)
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Hypopituitarism |
- anterior
- Kallmann syndrome
- Growth hormone deficiency
- ACTH deficiency/Secondary adrenal insufficiency
- GnRH insensitivity
- FSH insensitivity
- LH/hCG insensitivity
- posterior (Neurogenic diabetes insipidus)
- general
- Empty sella syndrome
- Pituitary apoplexy
- Sheehan's syndrome
- Lymphocytic hypophysitis
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|
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Thyroid |
Hypothyroidism |
- Iodine deficiency
- Cretinism
- Congenital hypothyroidism
- Myxedema
- Euthyroid sick syndrome
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Hyperthyroidism |
- Hyperthyroxinemia
- Thyroid hormone resistance
- Familial dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia
- Hashitoxicosis
- Thyrotoxicosis factitia
- Graves' disease
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Thyroiditis |
- Acute infectious
- Subacute
- De Quervain's
- Subacute lymphocytic
- Autoimmune/chronic
- Hashimoto's
- Postpartum
- Riedel's
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Goitre |
- Endemic goitre
- Toxic nodular goitre
- Toxic multinodular goiter
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Parathyroid |
Hypoparathyroidism |
- Hypoparathyroidism
- Pseudohypoparathyroidism
- Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism
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Hyperparathyroidism |
- Primary
- Secondary
- Tertiary
- Osteitis fibrosa cystica
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Adrenal |
Hyperfunction |
- aldosterone: Hyperaldosteronism/Primary aldosteronism
- Conn syndrome
- Bartter syndrome
- Glucocorticoid remediable aldosteronism
- AME
- Liddle's syndrome
- 17α CAH
- cortisol: Cushing's syndrome (Pseudo-Cushing's syndrome)
- sex hormones: 21α CAH
- 11β CAH
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Hypofunction/
Adrenal insufficiency
(Addison's, WF) |
- aldosterone: Hypoaldosteronism
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Gonads |
- ovarian: Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Premature ovarian failure
- testicular: enzymatic
- 5α-reductase deficiency
- 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency
- aromatase excess syndrome)
- Androgen receptor (Androgen insensitivity syndrome
- general: Hypogonadism (Delayed puberty)
- Hypergonadism
- Hypoandrogenism
- Hypoestrogenism
- Hyperandrogenism
- Hyperestrogenism
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Height |
- Dwarfism/Short stature
- Midget
- Laron syndrome
- Psychosocial
- Ateliosis
- Gigantism
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Multiple |
- Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome multiple
- Carcinoid syndrome
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia
- Progeria
- Werner syndrome
- Acrogeria
- Metageria
- Woodhouse-Sakati syndrome
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noco (d)/cong/tumr, sysi/epon
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proc, drug (A10/H1/H2/H3/H5)
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