GIGANTISM AND ACROMEGALY: MEET THE TWO RARE ABNORMAL GROWTH DISEASES IN HUMANS 

Did you know that gigantism, a disease associated with abnormal growth, is rarer than acromegaly, also a growth disease, and that when left untreated or unmanaged, some people with gigantism have grown over 8 feet tall?

According to a BBC report published January 2, 2023, a local hospital in northern Ghana told 29-year-old Sulemana Abdul Samed during one of his recent check-ups that he had reached the height of 9 ft 6in (2.89m).This would make him the tallest man in the world, but there was a catch - the rural clinic could not be sure of his height because it did not have the correct measuring tools.

However, when correct measurements were taken, the measuring tape reads 7ft 4in, meaning he is barely one foot shorter than the tallest man alive, 40-year-old Sultan Kösen, who lives in Turkey and holds the current Guinness World Record 8ft 2.8in tall. Sulemana was diagnosed with gigantism a few years ago. 

Gigantism and acromegaly are both conditions that result from excess growth hormone (GH). The difference is in who the conditions affect — adults develop acromegaly, whereas children and teenagers who are still growing develop gigantism. 

Gigantism, also called pediatric acromegaly and pituitary gigantism, is a very rare condition that happens when a child or adolescent has high levels of growth hormone (GH) in their body, which causes them to grow very tall. The pituitary gland normally produces GH, but a tumor on their pituitary can produce excess GH in gigantism.

Growth hormone, also known as human growth hormone (hGH) and somatotropin, is a natural hormone that acts on many parts of the body to promote growth in children. Once the growth plates (epiphyses) in your bones have fused, GH no longer increases height. Instead, it helps to maintain normal bone, cartilage and organ structure and metabolism.

In gigantism, the excessive amount of growth hormone (GH) accelerates the growth of muscle, bones and connective tissue. This leads to an abnormally increased height as well as several soft tissue changes. When left untreated or unmanaged, some people with gigantism have grown over 8 feet tall. Because of this, early diagnosis and treatment are crucial in cases of gigantism. 

Gigantism is rarer than acromegaly. There’ve been approximately 100 cases of gigantism recorded in the United States alone.

Gigantism can be difficult to diagnose due to how rare it is and because growth rates can vary widely from child to child due to genetics and environmental factors. In general, healthcare providers suspect gigantism when a child’s height is three standard deviations above the normal average height for their sex and age or two standard deviations above the adjusted average based on the height of their biological parents.

Early diagnosis and treatment of gigantism are crucial to prevent excessive height and associated complications and improve life expectancy. If left untreated, it’s associated with significant complications and an increased death rate of around twice the normal average.

Long-term complications that some people with gigantism might experience due to excessive height and the overall effects of excess growth hormone include: mobility issues due to muscle weakness, osteoarthritis, peripheral neuropathy, sleep apnea, enlarged heart (cardiomegaly) and heart valve issues, and metabolic complications such as Type 2 diabetes. Also, issues participating in everyday tasks such as buying clothes and traveling due to a very tall height can also diminish the quality of life of people with untreated gigantism.

Sources:

Read more on the article here:

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22954-gigantism

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-64032268