Diagnosis of Acromegaly
Diagnostic Test list for Acromegaly:
The list of medical tests
mentioned in various sources as
used in the diagnosis of Acromegaly
includes:
Acromegaly Diagnosis: Book Excerpts
Diagnostic Tests for Acromegaly: Online Medical Books
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for more information about diagnostis of Acromegaly.
Weight gain, excessive:
History and physical examination
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
Determine your patient’s previous patterns of weight gain and loss. Does he have a family history of obesity, thyroid disease, or diabetes mellitus? Assess his eating and activity patterns. Has his appetite increased? Does he exercise regularly or at all? Next, ask about associated symptoms. Has he experienced visual disturbances, hoarseness, paresthesia, or increased urination and thirst? Has he become impotent? If the patient is female, has she had menstrual irregularities or experienced weight gain during menstruation?
Form an impression of the patient’s mental status. Is he anxious or depressed? Does he respond slowly? Is his memory poor? What medications is he using?
During your physical examination, measure skin-fold thickness to estimate fat reserves. (See Evaluating nutritional status, pages 644 and 645.) Note fat distribution and the presence of localized or generalized edema and overall nutritional status. Inspect for other abnormalities, such as abnormal body hair distribution or hair loss and dry skin. Take and record the patient’s vital signs.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition), 2006
Weight loss, excessive:
History and physical examination
(Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition))
Begin with a thorough diet history because weight loss almost always is caused by inadequate caloric intake. If the patient hasn’t been eating properly, try to determine why. Ask him about previous weight and if the recent loss was intentional. Be alert to lifestyle or occupational changes that may be a source of anxiety or depression. For example, has he gotten separated or divorced? Has a family member or friend died recently? Has he recently changed jobs?
Inquire about recent changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhea or bulky, floating stools. Has the patient had nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain, which may indicate a GI disorder? Has he had excessive thirst, excessive urination, or heat intolerance, which may signal an endocrine disorder? Take a careful drug history, noting especially any use of diet pills and laxatives.
Carefully check the patient’s height and weight, and ask about his previous weight. Take his vital signs and note his general appearance: Is he well nourished? Do his clothes fit? Is muscle wasting evident? Ask about exact weight changes (with approximate dates).
Next, examine the patient’s skin for turgor and abnormal pigmentation, especially around the joints. Does he have pallor or jaundice? Examine his mouth, including the condition of his teeth or dentures. Look for signs of infection or irritation on the roof of the mouth, and note any hyperpigmentation of the buccal mucosa. Also, check the patient’s eyes for exophthalmos and his neck for swelling; evaluate his lungs for adventitious sounds. Inspect his abdomen for signs of wasting, and palpate for masses, tenderness, and an enlarged liver.
Conventional laboratory and radiologic investigations such as complete blood count, serum albumin levels, urinalysis, chest X-ray, and upper GI series usually reveal the cause. Almost all physical causes are clinically evident during the initial evaluation. Cancer, GI disorders, and depression are the most common pathologic causes.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition), 2006
Acromegaly and gigantism:
Diagnosis
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Plasma hGH and somatomedin-C levels measured by radioimmunoassay typically are elevated.Because hGH secretion is pulsatile, the results of random sampling may be misleading. The glucose suppression test offers more reliable information. Glucose normally suppresses hGH secretion; therefore, a glucose infusion that doesn’t suppress the hormone level to below the accepted normal value of 5 ng/ml, when combined with characteristic clinical features, strongly suggests hyperpituitarism. The level of insulin-like growth factor 1 is high.
In addition, skull X-rays, computed tomography scan, arteriography, and magnetic resonance imaging determine the presence and extent of the pituitary lesion. Bone X-rays showing a thickening of the cranium (especially of frontal, occipital, and parietal bones) and of the long bones, as well as osteoarthritis in the spine, support this diagnosis.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Weight gain, excessive:
History and physical examination
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
Determine your patient’s previous patterns of weight gain and loss. Does he have a family history of obesity, thyroid disease, or diabetes mellitus? Assess his eating and activity patterns. Has his appetite increased? Does he exercise regularly or at all? Next, ask about associated symptoms. Has he experienced visual disturbances, hoarseness, paresthesia, or increased urination and thirst? Has he become impotent? If the patient is female, has she had menstrual irregularities or experienced weight gain during menstruation?
Form an impression of the patient’s mental status. Is he anxious or depressed? Does he respond slowly? Is his memory poor? What medications is he using?
During your physical examination, measure skin-fold thickness to estimate fat reserves. (See Evaluating nutritional status.) Note fat distribution, the presence of localized or generalized edema, and overall nutritional status. Examine the patient for other abnormalities, such as abnormal body hair distribution or hair loss and dry skin. Take and record the patient’s vital signs.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Weight loss, excessive:
History and physical examination
(Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition))
Begin with a thorough diet history because weight loss is almost always caused by inadequate caloric intake. If the patient hasn’t been eating properly, try to determine why. Ask about his previous weight and whether the recent loss was intentional. Be alert for lifestyle or occupational changes that may be causing anxiety or depression. For example, has he gotten separated or divorced? Has he recently changed jobs?
Inquire about recent changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhea or bulky, floating stools. Has the patient had nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain, which may indicate a GI disorder? Has he had excessive thirst, excessive urination, or heat intolerance, which may signal an endocrine disorder? Take a careful drug history, noting especially the use of diet pills or laxatives.
Carefully check the patient’s height and weight, and ask about exact weight changes with approximate dates. Take his vital signs and note his general appearance: Is he well nourished? Do his clothes fit? Is muscle wasting evident?
Next, examine the patient’s skin for turgor and abnormal pigmentation, especially around the joints. Does he have pallor or jaundice? Examine his mouth, including the condition of his teeth or dentures. Look for signs of infection or irritation on the roof of the mouth, and note any hyperpigmentation of the buccal mucosa. Also, check the patient’s eyes for exophthalmos and his neck for swelling; auscultate his lungs for adventitious sounds. Inspect his abdomen for signs of wasting, and palpate for masses, tenderness, and an enlarged liver.
Conventional laboratory and radiologic tests, such as complete blood count, serum albumin levels, urinalysis, chest
X-rays, and upper GI series, usually reveal the cause. Almost all physical causes are clinically evident during the initial evaluation. Cancer, GI disorders, and depression are the most common pathologic causes.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
Acromegaly and gigantism:
Diagnosis
(Handbook of Diseases)
Serum HGH levels measured by radioimmunoassay typically are elevated. However, because HGH secretion is pulsatile, the results of random sampling may be misleading. IGF-1 (somatomedin-C) levels offer a better screening alternative.
The glucose suppression test offers more reliable information. Glucose normally suppresses HGH secretion; therefore, a glucose infusion that doesn’t suppress the hormone level to below the accepted normal value of 2 ng/ml, when combined with characteristic signs and symptoms, strongly suggests hyperpituitarism.
In addition, skull X-rays, a computed tomography scan, arteriography, and magnetic resonance imaging determine the presence and extent of the pituitary lesion. Bone X-rays showing a thickening of the cranium (especially of frontal, occipital, and parietal bones) and of the long bones as well as osteoarthritis in the spine support this diagnosis.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Weight gain, excessive:
History
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
Determine your patient’s previous patterns of weight gain and loss. Does he have a family history of obesity, thyroid disease, or diabetes mellitus? Assess his eating and activity patterns. Has his appetite increased? Does he exercise regularly or at all? Next, ask about associated symptoms. Has he experienced vision disturbances, hoarseness, paresthesia, or increased urination and thirst? Has he become impotent? If the patient is female, has she had menstrual irregularities or experienced weight gain during menstruation?
Form an impression of the patient’s mental status. Is he anxious or depressed? Does he respond slowly? Is his memory poor? What medications is he using?
CULTURAL CUE:Body weight is influenced by gender and race. For example, Black men tend to weigh less than White men and Black women tend to weigh more than White women of the same age. Socioeconomic status also affects weight gain. Individuals of lower socioeconomic status tend to have more pronounced obesity than those of middle-class or upper middle-class status.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
Weight loss, excessive:
History
(Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses)
Begin with a thorough diet history because weight loss almost always is caused by inadequate caloric intake. If the patient hasn’t been eating properly, try to determine why. Ask him about previous weight and if the recent loss was intentional. Be alert to lifestyle or occupational changes that may be a source of anxiety or depression. For example, has he gotten separated or divorced? Has he recently changed jobs?
Inquire about recent changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhea or bulky, floating stools. Has the patient had nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain, which may indicate a GI disorder? Has he had excessive thirst, excessive urination, or heat intolerance, which may signal an endocrine disorder? Take a careful drug history, noting especially use of diet pills and laxatives.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses, 2007
Weight gain, excessive:
History and physical examination
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
Determine your patient's previous patterns of weight gain and loss. Does he have a family history of obesity, thyroid disease, or diabetes mellitus? Assess his eating and activity patterns. Has his appetite increased? Does he exercise regularly or at all? Ask about associated symptoms. Has the patient experienced vision disturbances, hoarseness, paresthesia, or increased urination and thirst? Has he become impotent? If the patient is female, has she had menstrual irregularities or experienced weight gain during menstruation? Is she menopausal or postmenopausal?
Form an impression of the patient's mental status. Is he anxious or depressed? Does he respond slowly? Is his memory poor? What medications is he taking?
During your physical examination, measure skin-fold thickness to estimate fat reserves. (See Evaluating nutritional status, pages 644 and 645.) Note fat distribution and the presence of localized or generalized edema and overall nutritional status. Inspect for other abnormalities, such as abnormal body hair distribution or hair loss and dry skin. Take and record the patient's vital signs.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
Weight loss, excessive:
History and physical examination
(Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms)
Begin with a thorough diet history because weight loss is almost always caused by inadequate caloric intake. If the patient hasn't been eating properly, try to determine why. Ask him about previous weight and whether the recent loss was intentional. Determine how long the weight loss has been taking place. Be alert to lifestyle or occupational changes that may be a source of anxiety or depression. Has the patient recently experienced a loss?
Inquire about recent changes in bowel habits, such as diarrhea or bulky, floating stools. Has the patient had nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain, which may indicate a GI disorder? Has he had excessive thirst, excessive urination, or heat intolerance, which may signal an endocrine disorder? Has he been experiencing other pain? If so, ask about the location of the pain and how long he has had it. Take a careful drug history, noting especially use of diet pills and laxatives.
Carefully check the patient's height and weight and ask about his previous weight. Take his vital signs and note his general appearance: Is he well nourished? Do his clothes fit? Is muscle wasting evident? Ask about exact weight changes (with approximate dates).
Examine the patient's skin for turgor and abnormal pigmentation, especially around the joints. Does he have pallor or jaundice? Examine his mouth, including the condition of his teeth or dentures. Look for signs of infection or irritation on the roof of the mouth and note hyperpigmentation of the buccal mucosa. Check the patient's eyes for exophthalmos and his neck for swelling; evaluate his lungs for adventitious sounds. Inspect his abdomen for signs of wasting, and palpate for masses, tenderness, and an enlarged liver.
Conventional laboratory and radiologic investigations such as complete blood count, serum albumin levels, urinalysis, chest X-ray, and upper GI series usually reveal the cause. Almost all physical causes are clinically evident during the initial evaluation. Cancer, GI disorders, and depression are the most common pathologic causes.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms, 2007
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