Acromegaly is a hormonal disorder that develops when the pituitary gland secretes too much growth hormone during adulthood. When such condition happens, the bones will increase in size including the hands, feet and face.
To be able to diagnose acromegaly, two key blood tests should be performed: one for insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). There is also an imaging test to confirm acromegaly and that is through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the pituitary gland.
Insuline-like growth factor-1 is a hormone that is closely knitted to growth hormone. To determine if a person has acromegaly, even if he has high levels of IGF-1, his body continuously produces growth hormones. It must be noted that IGF-1 signals the body to stop producing growth hormones. Thus, an elevated IGF-1 level may indicate acromegaly.
