Xiaoming (pseudonym) is from Jiangxi. He is 19 years old this year. He was originally 175cm tall and weighed 100kg. Last year, his height “increased” by 35cm. During the Spring Festival this year, Xiaoming’s father, who came back from work, was shocked when he saw his son who was taller than the door frame.
The teenager grows 35cm in one year
Walks like an old man
Xiaoming told his father that after he has grown so much, he has been walking with shaking for the past six months. He was swaying, and he had also fallen. Recently, his left eye has become blurred, and his headache seems to explode. Xiaoming’s father wondered if his height was 170cm and his wife’s height was 165cm. With such a tall child, would he have any disease? He quickly took Xiaoming to the First Hospital of Zhejiang University for treatment.
Pan Xinfa, deputy chief physician of neurosurgery, initially diagnosed Xiaoming with gigantism. “Gigantism is caused by the growth of a tumor on the pituitary gland, which compresses the pituitary gland, resulting in excessive secretion of growth hormone, prompting rapid increase in height and weight in a short period of time, and symptoms such as rough face.” Pan Xinfa explained that the pituitary gland is located in the abdomen of the lower thalamus. The side is the most complex and important endocrine gland in the body. The hormones it produces are not only related to the growth of the body’s bones and soft tissues, but also affect the activity of the endocrine glands.
Further enhanced pituitary MRI and full set of pituitary hormone examinations showed that Xiaoming’s pituitary had a 5cm tumor, and the growth hormone reached 200ng/ml (normal human growth hormone is 0-3ng/mL) . Clinically, a pituitary tumor larger than 4cm is considered a huge pituitary tumor. The tumor has reached the limit of growth in the saddle area, which is “an inch of land and an inch of gold”, and compressed the optic nerve, resulting in nearly zero vision in Xiaoming’s left eye. At the same time, the tumor also blocked the aqueduct in the midbrain, causing severe hydrocephalus, so Xiaoming had symptoms such as unsteady walking.
Distinguish between gigantism and long puberty
Parents should pay more attention to the growth and development of their children
Pan Xinfa said that the tumor is too large, the hydrocephalus is serious, and it is not timely With surgical treatment, the optic nerve in the right eye may also be compressed, leading to total blindness, or even life-threatening coma due to excessive hydrocephalus.
“Xiaoming can undergo transnasal neuroendoscopic pituitary tumor resection, which is the most advanced minimally invasive method for the treatment of pituitary tumors, but unfortunately Xiaoming developed gigantism symptoms very early. , and the parents are negligent and do not pay attention to themselves, even if the operation is successful, the height and appearance will not change.” Pan Xinfa reminded that if the parents are of average height, but the height of the child rapidly jumps up in a short period of time, the parents must pay attention to it, “long” does not necessarily mean It’s a good thing, we should hurry to the regular hospital for examination.
Regarding how to distinguish between accelerated puberty growth and gigantism, experts say that children normally grow 5-7 cm in height each year before puberty, and after entering puberty, their height growth accelerates, and boys grow an average of 9 cm per year. -11cm, 7-8cm for girls. In addition, in addition to height growth, puberty is also accompanied by the development of secondary sexual characteristics. The growth rate of gigantism far exceeds the above standard and is continuous, and will not stop due to the end of puberty. At the same time, there may be discomfort such as thick hands and feet, headaches, etc.