Acromegaly and the Colon: Scoping Beyond the Pituitary

Abstract

Acromegaly is a complex endocrinological disorder commonly caused by hypersecretion of growth hormone (GH) typically due to pituitary gland tumors. Patients with acromegaly who are successfully treated and biochemically managed have a reasonably average life expectancy. However, it causes a cascade of multisystemic involvement throughout the patient's life, including cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric, respiratory, metabolic, neurological, neoplastic, and gastrointestinal involvement, resulting in a higher rate of hospitalization, lower quality of life, and a shorter life expectancy. Although cardiovascular complications are the primary cause of death in patients with acromegaly, malignancy is now emerging as a major killer in these individuals. Colorectal carcinoma has been reported to be prevalent in acromegaly individuals. This review article has compiled studies to demonstrate a link between acromegaly and colorectal neoplasia, intending to provide a strong foundation for their clinical relationship. This article has summarised a potential pathogenic mechanism and provided insights into the clinical presentation of such patients. Furthermore, this article has provided a brief overview of current screening recommendations for colorectal neoplasia in acromegaly patients.

Acromegalia: uma análise dos impactos em regulações neuroendócrinas

“…O processo diagnóstico da acromegalia envolve a avaliação clínica e bioquímica dos pacientes. A triagem inicial é frequentemente desencadeada pela presença de características fenotípicas típicas da acromegalia ou pela identificação de distúrbios associados, como apneia do sono, hipertensão, artrite debilitante, diabetes mellitus tipo 2 e síndrome do túnel do carpo (Patel et al, 2021).…”