Acromegaly: recent progress in diagnostics and treatment

Abstract

Acromegaly is a serious disease with different complications leads to reduced life expectancy and increase mortality. Only early diagnosis and modern methods of management of disease lead to remission. According to consensus on criteria for cure of acromegaly (2010) the measurement of GH and age-matched total IGF-I concentrations are the most important biochemical variables for the diagnosis of acromegaly and for monitoring progression or treatment response. The optimal disease control is now defined as IGF-I level in the age – adjusted normal range, random GH levels less than 1,0 µg/liter and nadir GH level during OGTT less than 0,4 µg/liter. MRI with use a contract substance is the best method of adenoma visualization. The trassphenoidal surgery with new technologies (endoscope, intraoperative blood sampling, neuronavigation, intraoperative MRI), radiosurgery, modern medical treatment (multiligand long-acting somatostatin analogs, GH receptor antagonist) are effective modalities for treatment of acromegaly, which elaborated last decades.