Article Text
Summary
A 38-year-old man presented with excessive height gain and progressive enlargement of the extremities since childhood. This was compounded by lower limb deformities over the past 5 years. On examination, his height was 196 cm, he had macroglossia, acral enlargement, seborrhoea, hyperhidrosis—suggesting acrogigantism. He had facial asymmetry, wind-swept deformity of lower limbs and a café-au-lait macule over his trunk. Investigations revealed normal-sized pituitary gland with dysplastic cranial bones. Isotope bone scintigraphy was suggestive of polyostotic fibrous dysplasia. A diagnosis of McCune-Albright syndrome was made and trans-sphenoidal hypophysectomy was undertaken. He had persistent hypophosphataemia. Tubular reabsorption of phosphate adjusted for glomerular filtration rate was low and serum FGF-23 level was high. Ga-DOTATATE scintigraphy showed somatostatin-receptor expression in all the dysplastic lesions. FGF-23 produced by the bony lesions could counteract the phosphate-retaining effect of GH excess resulting in hypophosphataemia, which further worsened following hypophysectomy.
- pituitary disorders
- calcium and bone
Statistics from Altmetric.com
Footnotes
Contributors RP prepared the manuscript. PD helped in managing the patient. KKM operated on the patient. AB conceptualized the manuscript and provided overall guidance.
Competing interests None declared.
Patient consent Obtained.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.