Pituitary surgery for acromegaly

摘要

The objective of treatment in acromegaly is not only to alleviate symptoms, improve quality of life, and prevent complications but also to reverse the increased (two to threefold) mortality from vascular and respiratory disease and colon cancer. That this can be achieved if "target" basal growth hormone concentrations of < 5 mU/l (2.5 ng/ml) are reached has been shown, with the proviso that serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) values may need to be reduced to the normal age-related reference range.