Diagnosis and Treatment > Signs and Symptoms
Search for other papers by Anne Marie Hannon in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Isolda Frizelle in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by George Kaar in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Steven J Hunter in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Mark Sherlock in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Christopher J Thompson in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Domhnall J O’Halloran in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by the Irish Pituitary Database Group in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Summary
Pregnancy in acromegaly is rare and generally safe, but tumour expansion may occur. Managing tumour expansion during pregnancy is complex, due to the potential complications of surgery and side effects of anti-tumoural medication. A 32-year-old woman was diagnosed with acromegaly at 11-week gestation. She had a large macroadenoma invading the suprasellar cistern. She developed bitemporal hemianopia at 20-week gestation. She declined surgery and was commenced on 100 µg subcutaneous octreotide tds, with normalisation of her visual fields after 2 weeks of therapy. She had a further deterioration in her visual fields at 24-week gestation, which responded to an increase in subcutaneous octreotide to 150 µg tds. Her vision remained stable for the remainder of the pregnancy. She was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 14/40 and was commenced on basal bolus insulin regimen at 22/40 gestation. She otherwise had no obstetric complications. Foetal growth continued along the 50th centile throughout pregnancy. She underwent an elective caesarean section at 34/40, foetal weight was 3.2 kg at birth with an APGAR score of 9. The neonate was examined by an experienced neonatologist and there were no congenital abnormalities identified. She opted not to breastfeed and she is menstruating regularly post-partum. She was commenced on octreotide LAR 40 mg and referred for surgery. At last follow-up, 2 years post-partum, the infant has been developing normally. In conclusion, our case describes a first presentation of acromegaly in pregnancy and rescue of visual field loss with somatostatin analogue therapy.
Learning points:
-
Tumour expansion may occur in acromegaly during pregnancy.
-
Treatment options for tumour expansion in pregnancy include both medical and surgical options.
-
Somatostatin analogues may be a viable medical alternative to surgery in patients with tumour expansion during pregnancy.
Search for other papers by Syed Ali Imran in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Khaled A Aldahmani in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Lynette Penney in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Sidney E Croul in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by David B Clarke in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by David M Collier in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Donato Iacovazzo in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Márta Korbonits in
Google Scholar
PubMed
Summary
Early-onset acromegaly causing gigantism is often associated with aryl-hydrocarbon-interacting receptor protein (AIP) mutation, especially if there is a positive family history. A15y male presented with tiredness and visual problems. He was 201 cm tall with a span of 217 cm. He had typical facial features of acromegaly, elevated IGF-1, secondary hypogonadism and a large macroadenoma. His paternal aunt had a history of acromegaly presenting at the age of 35 years. Following transsphenoidal surgery, his IGF-1 normalized and clinical symptoms improved. He was found to have a novel AIP mutation destroying the stop codon c.991T>C; p.*331R. Unexpectedly, his father and paternal aunt were negative for this mutation while his mother and older sister were unaffected carriers, suggesting that his aunt represents a phenocopy.
Learning points:
-
Typical presentation for a patient with AIP mutation with excess growth and eunuchoid proportions.
-
Unusual, previously not described AIP variant with loss of the stop codon.
-
Phenocopy may occur in families with a disease-causing germline mutation.