Endocrinol Metab.  2013 Sep;28(3):164-168. 10.3803/EnM.2013.28.3.164.

Characteristics of Acromegaly in Korea with a Literature Review

• Hong JW
• Ku CR
• Kim SH
• Lee EJ

• KMID: 1973819
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3803/EnM.2013.28.3.164

Abstract

Acromegaly is a slowly progressive disease caused by excessive growth hormone (GH), which is related to a GH secreting pituitary tumor in most cases. Herein, we describe the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and treatment of acromegaly in Korea with a literature review. The average annual incidence of acromegaly in Korea was 3.9 cases per million people, which was within the range of previous Western studies. The primary treatment for acromegaly was also transsphenoidal adenomectomy, which accounted for 90.4% of patients whose primary therapeutic options were known. The overall surgical remission rates were 89%, 87%, 64%, 70%, and 50% for modified Hardy classification I, II, IIIA, IIIB, and IV, respectively. An updated and larger study regarding the treatment outcome of medical/radiotherapy in Korean acromegalic patients is needed.

Keyword

Acromegaly; Growth hormone; Pituitary neoplasms

MeSH Terms

Acromegaly
Growth Hormone
Humans
Incidence
Korea
Pituitary Neoplasms
Treatment Outcome
Growth Hormone

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Prevalence and incidence of acromegaly in South Korea. Adapted from Kwon et al. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2013;78:577-85, with permission from Blackwell Publishing [7]. c.p.m., cases per million.

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