This gentleman is a remarkable 7 feet, 2 inches tall. Note his facial features.Challenge: What is the cause of this gentleman's condition?
Related Questions:
1. Who is this man and what is he known for?
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3 comments:
gigantism, too much GH early in life --> tall height, acromegaly. no idea who he is.
acromegaly
nice! i'm not sure if its acromegaly or gigantism, but its one of them.
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The Spy Who Loved Me
This is Richard Kiel, the actor who played Jaws in the James Bond movies (The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker). I am unsure whether he has acromegaly or pituitary gigantism (growth hormone excess before fusion of the epiphyseal growth plates), but both are due to excessive secretion of growth hormone.
The most common cause of acromegaly is a somatotroph (growth hormone secreting) adenoma of the anterior pituitary. It presents with an insidious slow progression of acral overgrowth (macrognathia, enlarged swollen hands and feet, coarse facial features), articular overgrowth (hypertrophic arthropathy of the joints), increased bone density, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease (HTN, LVH, cardiomyopathy), but not increased height. Pituitary masses may cause headache and visual disturbances.
Pituitary gigantism from pituitary GH excess, hypothalamic GH releasing hormone, or ectopic sources presents with dramatic linear growth acceleration, mild to moderate obesity, large hands and feet, coarse facial features, frontal bossing, projection of the jaw, and excessive sweating.
Sources: UpToDate; Wikipedia.
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