Gigantism

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Gigantism
File:Robert Wadlow.jpg
Robert Wadlow, the tallest man known to have lived (2.72 metres or 8 feet 11 inches) with his father, Harold Wadlow (1.82 metres or 6 feet 0 inches)
Classification and external resources
Specialty Endocrinology
ICD-10 E22.0, E34.4
ICD-9-CM 253.0
DiseasesDB 30730
MedlinePlus 001174
Patient UK Gigantism
MeSH D005877
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Gigantism, also known as giantism (from Greek γίγας gigas, "giant", plural γίγαντες gigantes), is a condition characterized by excessive growth and height significantly above average. In humans, this condition is caused by over-production of growth hormone[1] in childhood resulting in persons between 7 (84 inches) and 9 (108 inches) feet in height.

Terminology

André the Giant, a wrestler, and he played Fezzik in The Princess Bride.
Giantess Anna Swan with her parents

The term is typically applied to those whose height is not just in the upper 1% of the population but several standard deviations above mean for persons of the same sex, age, and ethnic ancestry. The term is seldom applied to those who are simply "tall" or "above average" whose heights appear to be the healthy result of normal genetics and nutrition. Gigantism is usually caused by a tumor on the pituitary gland of the brain. It causes growth of the hands, face, and feet.[2][better source needed] In some cases the condition can be passed on genetically through a mutated gene.[3]

Other names somewhat obsolete for this pathology are hypersoma (Greek: hyper over the normal level; soma body) and somatomegaly (Greek; soma body, genitive somatos of the body; megas, gen. megalou great). In the past, while many of them were social outcasts because of their height, some (usually unintentionally) found employment in Friedrich Wilhelm I's famous Potsdam Giants regiment.

Many of those who have been identified with gigantism have suffered from multiple health issues involving their circulatory or skeletal system.

Giant Gonzales (1966–2010) was a wrestler with gigantism, like wrestlers Andre Rene Roussimoff and Dalip Singh. In this photo, Gonzalez, in "muscle" design attire, stands in front of 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) tall rival "The Undertaker".

Diagnosis

Hypersecretion of growth hormone causes gigantism in children and acromegaly in adults. Evaluation of growth hormone hypersecretion cannot be excluded with a single normal GH level due to diurnal variation. However, a random blood sample showing markedly elevated GH is adequate for diagnosis of GH hypersecretion. Additionally, a high-normal GH level that fails to suppress with administration of glucose is also sufficient for a diagnosis of GH hypersecretion.[4]

Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) is an excellent test for evaluation of GH hypersecretion. It does not undergo diurnal variation and will thus be consistently elevated in GH hypersecretion and therefore patients with gigantism. A single normal IGF-1 value will reliably exclude GH hypersecretion.[5]

Society and culture

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Main article: Giant (mythology)

Reports of gigantism exist throughout history, with some nations and tribes taller than others. The giants of Crete are listed in various historic sources, beginning with Titan, a Greek mythological giant, and including Gigantus, after whom giants and gigantism are named. Rhodes is another island where giants were said to have lived, with the Colossus of Rhodes, a giant statue of a giant patron god Helios. Goliath, a giant mentioned in the Bible, was a Philistine warrior who was killed by David in a battle between the Israelites and the Philistines. A member of Goliath's family is also recorded as having six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Gigantism" at Dorland's Medical Dictionary
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ In a Giant’s Story, a New Chapter Writ by His DNA - By Gina Kolata. The New York Times, January 5, 2011
  4. ↑ De Mais, Daniel. ASCP Quick Compendium of Clinical Pathology, 2nd Ed. ASCP Press, Chicago, 2009.
  5. ↑ De Mais, Daniel. ASCP Quick Compendium of Clinical Pathology, 2nd Ed. ASCP Press, Chicago, 2009.
  6. ↑ Story of Goliath in 1Samuel 17 – 6 fingers in 1 Chronicles 20:6 cf. 2Samuel 21:20-22

External links

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