Question

do children can live normal life with gigantism? what type of treatment they need?

Answer 1

Yes, children can live normal life with gigantism if gigantism is diagnosed early and then treated. It has been found that 80 percent of cases of gigantism has been cured. Gigantism is caused by oversecretion of growth hormone from pituitary gland due to tumor of pituitary gland. If the tumor of pituitary is removed by surgery or if surgery is not feasible then some medicines can be used to decrease the size of tumor or to stop excessive production of growth hormone. Medicines like octreotide or lanreotide is used to prevent the release of growth hormone. Bromocriptine and cabergoline are used as pills to lower growth hormone levels. Octreotide is given as injection and it lowers the levels of growth hormones and insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). In some situations drug like Pegvisomant is given which blocks the effects of growth hormones and this lowers the levels of IGF-1 in blood. Gamma knife radiosurgery can also be used which directly targets the tumor and destroys it. Therefore by early diagnosis by knowing the symptoms of gigantism and by treating gigantism a child can have normal life with minimum of complications caused by gigantism.