Screening for acromegaly in adult patients not reporting enlargement of the extremities, but with arterial hypertension associated with another comorbidity of the disease.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the value of acromegaly screening in adult patients not reporting enlargement of the extremities, but who present arterial hypertension associated with at least one other comorbidity of the disease.

Subjects and methods: Patients seen by general practitioners at primary health care units were evaluated. Among the patients without extremity enlargement, those with recently diagnosed arterial hypertension associated with at least one other comorbidity were selected.

Results: A total of 1,209 patients were submitted to laboratory investigation. Elevated IGF-1 was observed in 22 patients. Eighteen patients had adequate suppression of growth hormone (GH). No GH suppression was observed in four women with confirmed elevated IGF-1. In the latter, IGF-1 and nadir GH were only slightly elevated, magnetic resonance showed a normal pituitary, and chest and abdominal computed tomography revealed no tumor, and no intervention was performed.

Conclusion: In patients with arterial hypertension without known pituitary disease, acromegaly is unlikely in the absence of enlargement of the extremities.