Somatotroph Adenoma and Receiving Social Security Disability
Your pituitary gland is a small gland that is located at the base of your brain behind the bridge of your nose. Your pituitary gland makes a number of hormones. One of these hormones is known as the growth hormone (GH). This hormone plays a vital role in managing your physical growth. When growth hormone is secreted into your bloodstream, your liver is triggered to produce a hormone called insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Then, IGF-I stimulates the growth of your bones and other tissues. Excessive amounts of IGF-I can result if your pituitary gland produces too much GH. Somatotroph adenoma is a hormonal disorder that develops when your pituitary gland makes too much growth hormone during adulthood. When this occurs, your bones increase in size. This usually takes place in your extremities. This involves your hands, feet and face. Most of the time, somatotroph adenoma affects middle-aged adults. Somatotroph adenoma affects all ethnic groups, as well as women and men equally. In children, when there is too much growth hormone, the condition is referred to as gigantism. Children with gigantism have exaggerated bone growth and an abnormal increase in height. Fortunately, somatotroph adenoma is a rare disorder. Somewhere around 1 in 20,000 people in the United States are estimated to be afflicted with somatotroph adenoma. It is diagnosed in about 3 to 4 out of every million people in the United States each year. In adults, the thing that usually causes overproduction of growth hormone is a tumor. Most of the time, somatotroph adenoma results from a non-cancerous (benign) tumor of your pituitary gland. In a few instances, this disorder is due to nonpituitary tumors that occur in other areas of your body, such as your lungs, adrenal glands or pancreas. One of the main signs or symptoms resulting from somatotroph adenoma is the enlargement of your hands and feet. Your shoe size may progressively increase, or you may not be able to wear a ring that used to fit. Your may also see gradual changes that take place in the shape of your face. You may notice things like a protruding lower brow and jaw, thickened lips, an enlarged nose and wider spacing between your teeth. There are many other signs and symptoms that you may experience with somatotroph adenoma. Some of these include:- ? An enlarged heart, liver, spleen, kidneys and other organs
- ? Skin tags (small outgrowths of skin tissue)
- ? Severe snoring that is caused by obstruction of your upper airway
- ? A husky, deepened voice that results from enlarged vocal cords and sinuses
- ? Excessive body odor and sweating
- ? Coarse, oily, thickened skin
- ? Increased chest size (barrel chest)
- ? Fatigue and muscle weakness
- ? Pain and limited joint mobility
- ? Enlarged, coarsened facial features
- ? Headaches
- ? Menstrual irregularities in women
- ? Erectile dysfunction in men
- ? Impaired vision
- ? An enlarged tongue.
- ? Cardiovascular disease
- ? Reduced secretion of other pituitary hormones (hypopituitarism)
- ? Uterine fibroids
- ? Osteoarthritis
- ? Spinal cord compression
- ? Polyps, precancerous growths on the lining of your colon
- ? Vision loss
- ? Sleep apnea
- ? High blood pressure (hypertension)
- ? Carpal tunnel syndrome
- ? Diabetes mellitus.