Since a long term studies of thirty patients with active acromegaly had been reported following the radiation therapy or hypophysectomy in 1960 by Hamwi et al., new knowledges of the diagnostic procedures and the therapeutic trial have recently been introduced. However, the reports. of acromegaly are a few in this country. The present report is a third case of active acromegaly by us. Although the diagnostic criteria of the active type of acromegalic patient is often difficult to detect, the presence of one or more of the following was considered to indicate activity: progressive acral enlargement, progressive loss of visual fields, persistent or progressive headache, recurrent or exacerbation of diabetes and elevation of serum phosphorus. This patient, a 43-year-old housewife, who entered this hospital with all of the above clinical categories except defect of visual field. She was also found diffuse nontoxic-goiter and several, endocrine function tests were performed but the radioimmunoassay of plasma insulin and growth harmone could not be determined.
Following the conventional. procedure of 60Co radiation in this case was given, the clinical symptoms such as persistent headache and general weakness was much improved. Hyperphosphere a was also decreased´-to nearly normal but hyperglycemia persisted. Continuous observation in this case has been made.
|