Etiologic Aspects and Management of

Acromegaly is a systemic disease with various etiologies. It can occur as a sporadic or, more rarely, as a familial disease. Numerous complica-tions such as endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, osteoarticular and neoplastic disturbances occur and must be taken into account when establishing a therapeutic strategy. For this reason, the decision as to a treatment modality of acromegaly must be followed by a thorough evaluation of the patient and once the diagnosis of com-plications is settled, adequate treatment should be instituted. Follow up of the patients requires periodical re-assessment of complications ’ sta-tus. (Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab 2005;49/5:626-640