Prevalence of sleep apnea and metabolic abnormalities in patients with acromegaly and analysis of cephalometric parameters by magnetic resonance imaging.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of sleep apnea (SA) and SA syndrome (SAS) in patients with acromegaly and correlate SA with clinical, laboratory, and cephalometric parameters.

Design And Methods: Prospective and cross-sectional study of 24 patients with active acromegaly evaluated by clinical and laboratory (GH, IGF-I) parameters, polysomnography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the pharynx.

Results: Out of 24 patients, 21 had SA (87.

Prevalence of discordant GH and IGF-I levels in acromegalics at diagnosis, after surgical treatment and during treatment with octreotide LAR.

Background: Acromegalic patients are considered "discordant" if their insulin-like growth factor type I (IGF-I) levels are increased for their age with "safe" growth hormone (GH) levels or if their IGF-I levels are normal for their age with "unsafe" GH levels. The prevalence of discordance in acromegalics has been described to vary from 9.4% to 39%, and it may be observed at diagnosis or during the follow up.

[Evaluation of glucose metabolism in acromegalic patients before and after treatment with octreotide LAR].

Aim Of The Study: To evaluate the glucose metabolism in acromegalic patients before and after treatment with octreotide LAR.

Patients And Methods: This was a prospective and longitudinal study involving 30 patients from the acromegaly research outpatient clinic of the Endocrinology unit of the HUCFF/UFRJ. They underwent clinical and laboratorial evaluations, with measurements of growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor type I (IGF-I), insulin, proinsulin, C peptide, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), IGF binding protein type 1 (IGFBP-1) and glucose, during oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), before and after six months of treatment with octreotide LAR.

Two hour mean GH is not superior to basal GH for the follow-up of acromegalic patients treated with Octreotide LAR.

Background: GH secretion, in acromegaly, is characterized by increased basal levels, as well as by increased frequency and amplitude of pulses. Evaluation of disease activity during follow-up of treated patients is frequently done with mean GH levels, although there is no established protocol for sample collection.

Objective: Determine mean GH value of 5 blood samples collected 30 min apart for 2 consecutive hours in the follow-up of acromegalic patients treated with octreotide LAR.

Etiologic aspects and management of acromegaly.

Acromegaly is a systemic disease with various etiologies. It can occur as a sporadic or, more rarely, as a familial disease. Numerous complications such as endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, osteoarticular and neoplastic disturbances occur and must be taken into account when establishing a therapeutic strategy.