Gigantism
Matthew Sawyer-CCSPN
Centura College
Basic Nursing II
Linda Knight, RN, BSN
What is Gigantism? Gigantism is a rare condition that causes abnormal growth in humans. Not only is height affected by this condition but girth is as well. The condition starts when there is too much growth hormone. The condition of too much growth hormone is called somatotropin. Early treatment is essential to prevent growth from happening to rapidly. Gigantism is usually caused by a tumor on the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is about the size of a pea and is located at the base of the human brain. The pituitary gland creates hormones for the human body. The pituitary gland controls body temperature, development of the sexual organs,
…show more content…
Symptoms include very large hands, feet, heads, thick toes and fingers, prominent forehead and jawline, flat noses, large tongues, lips, and very coarse facial features. All these symptoms depend on the size of the pituitary gland. As the tumor grows or enhances in size it presses against the nervous system in the brain. Symptoms of the tumor growing might include headaches, nausea, and vision problems. Other signs and symptoms to be aware of include but are not limited to sweating excessively, continual and severe headaches, weakness throughout the day, poor sleeping habits such as insomnia, delayed sexual development and puberty, irregular menstrual cycles in females, and hearing problems such as deafness ( Holly McGurganMedically, …show more content…
One of the ways is with medication. Since surgery might not be an option medications can be prescribed to help reduce the symptoms associated with gigantism. Two of the medications that can be used are bromocriptine and cabergoline. These drugs are used to reduce growth hormone in the body. These drugs are used in combination with octreotide. Octreotide is a synthetic growth hormone reducer. Another way of treatment of gigantism is with gamma-ray knife radiosurgery. This process focuses a laser beam directly at the tumor and does not harm the surrounding tissue. The dose of radiation is enough to kill the tumor and takes years to take full effect ( Holly McGurganMedically,
After seeing his physician, he told him that he had some of the common symptoms of a brain tumor. Brain tumors have a variety of symptoms ranging from headache to stroke. Seizures may be the initial manifestation of a brain tumor, and eventually as many as 30% of patients with brain tumors will develop seizures. Gradual loss of movement or sensation in an arm or leg may occur. Unsteadiness or imbalance, and double vision may occur, especially if it is associated with headache.
ACHONDROPLASIA is known as being undersized, or less than 50in. in height. Having short limbs, a normal sized trunk, large head with a depressed nasal bridge and small face. This is a result of a disease in the thyroid gland. It can also be caused by Down syndrome or absorption, a cartilaginous tissue during the fetal stage. Hypochondroplasia, a mild form of dwarfism. Spinal tuberculosis and the deficiency of the pituitary gland secretions. Treatment with thyroxin or thyroid extract early in childhood results in normal growth and development. Somatrophin, also known as the human growth hormone is secreted by the anterior pituitary. Respiratory problems start to occur in infants. Symptoms of problems include snoring and sleeping with neck in a hyperextended condition. The limbs have rhizometic shortening. The legs are straight in infantry but when a child. He begins walking they develop a knock-knee position. When the child continues to walk legs begin to have a bowed-leg look. Occasionally, these curvatures are fixed. As the child continues to walk the kyphosis disappears and the back assumes a lordotic posture. If a delay in child’s walking occurs, the spine should be monitored closely for signs of gibbous formation. In infancy, hypercephalus can occur. Infants head circumference should be monitored close . Monthly checks of head circumference must be monitored. Radiologic studies are indicated if head circumference raises to disproportionately, or if symptoms of hydrocephalus. Child’s pediatrician should have a copy of head circumference curves for children with achondroplasia. Radiologic procedures for dwarfism include head ultrasound, C-T scan, or MRI of the head. If intervention is necessary, a ventriculoperitoneal shunt is placed relieving the pressure. Infants should also be monitored for foramen magnum compression. It is the opening at the base of the skull in which the brain stem and cervical spinal cord exit. When you have achondroplasia the foramen magnum is compressing the brain stem and spinal cord. Symptoms of narrowing include apnea the cessation of breathing and cervical myleopathy. C-T scans and MRI scans are done to examine the size of the infectious foramen magnum. A neurosurgical procedure called a foramen magnum decompression is executed to alarge foramen and alleviate further symptoms. Adolescents are at risk of getting lumbosacral spinal stenosis. The lumber spinal cord or nerve roots become compressed producing nerosurgical symptoms. Initial symptoms including weakness, tingling, and pain of the legs. Pain usually alleviated by assuming a squatting position.
Physical signs and symptoms include slow body movements, alternating eating patterns, unexplained aches or pains, and sleeping disturbances.
Achondroplasia is a genetic disorder in which there is a growth hormone deficiency, or there is a genetic mutation in either the father’s sperm or mother’s egg. Mayo Clinic, March 20, 2014. Achondroplasia was the first discovered in ancient Egyptian records. People with achondroplasia are considered people with supernatural powers. Many people call dwarfs midgets, but to them, it is very disrespectful because midget literally means little person.
There are two main categories of brain tumors as to the seriousness; Malignant, and Benign. A Malignant tumor can grow and spread aggressively, and overpower other healthy cells by taking their space, blood, and nutrients. A Benign tumor is less serious than a Malignant, however, it can still cause many problems in the brain by pressing on nearby tissue. They are typically slow growing and rarely spread to other parts of the body. Benign brain tumors can be considered Malignant if they are located in areas of the brain that control vital functions like breathing. Unlike benign tumors, the cell structure of a malignant brain tumor is largely different than normal brain cells. Malignant tumors tend to grow faster and can be more invasive than benign tumors. They are also are life threatening. Tumors are classified as grades one through four. The more aggressive a brain tumor is, the higher the score. Another type of tumor is the pituitary tumor. A pituitary tumor is an abnormal growth of cells in the pituitary gland. It’s about the size of a pea and it’s located at the center of the brain behind the nose and eyes. "Malignant and Benign Brain Tumors."
This is because the tissue swells around the eyes and suffer from hyperthyroidism, muscular weakness, and rapid pulse and develop a reddish, painless skin rash. People who show signs and symptoms usually are either mild or severe. It all depends on the activity level of the thyroid. The disease affects the immune system itself and no other places. Symptoms usually develop over a 3-month period. The carrier usually is not aware that they have Graves’ disease. They usually find out when the symptoms are severe. The common signs are weight loss, tremors, feeling of being hot, and palpitations. (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.org). The less common sign that can occur as well. They are over activity of the intestines, which leads to frequent bowl movements. Sometimes the breakdown of protein in muscles can lead to extreme weakness, which causes trouble breathing and limited endurance. (The Thyroid Book). The thought of having Graves’ disease can be disturbing. Mood swings and thinking impairment can be difficult to handle. Crying spells, depression and feeling down are common. The patient’s personality can be different and will change. This could make work difficult and hard to keep. Generally, a person with Graves’ disease will have a thyroid that is enlarged but will not have any pain from it. This is called a goiter and can be seen in the neck most of the time. Sometime you cannot see the goiter but by feeling and examining the neck, it can be detected.
The thyroid gland is found in the front of the neck and produces two main hormones. The hormones are called thuroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3). Together these hormones regulate the body’s metabolism by increasing energy use in cells, regulate growth and development, help to maintain body temperature and aid in oxygen consumption. These two hormones are regulated by hormones produced by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. The hypothalamus senses changes in body’s metabolic rate and releases a hormone known as thyropin-releasing hormone (TRH). This hormone then flows through connecting vessels to the pituitary gland which signals it to release another hormone. This hormone is known as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH then makes its way to the bloodstream until it reaches the thyroid where it is then signaled to activate T3 and T4 production [1]. This mechanism is controlled by a negative feedback loop meaning that when there is a sufficient amount of thyroid hormones in the blood stream, this will signal back to stop production of thyroid stimulating hormones. Complications occur when the thyroid hormones keep increasing even though there is already a sufficient amount of T3 and T4 in the blood stream. This process of over expression of thryroid hormones is known as hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is a general term that includes any disease that has a consequence of an overabundance of thyroid hormones. Hyperthyroidism is a general term but there are many variant diseases that are in the hyperthyroidism category. These diseases include diffuse toxic goiter, Basedow’s disease, thyrotoxicosis, Parry’s and Graves’ disease.
According to SEER Statistics, 23,380 people are estimated to get a brain or nervous system cancer diagnosis. Out of those people, 14,320 people are estimated to die from their brain or nervous system cancer diagnosis (National Cancer Institute). Cancer is a type of dangerous tumor, or a buildup of extra cells that form a mass of tissue, that can be life threatening (National Cancer Institute). The term for a tumor that is cancerous is a malignat tumor, whereas a benign tumor does not contain cancer cells (National Cancer Institute). According to the National Cancer Institute, the causes of brain cancer are unknown, but risk factors include family history and excessive radiaton exposure. Although they are not always due to a brain tumor, comon symptoms include headaches, nausea, speech, hearing, vision, and mood changes, problems with balance and mamories, seizures, and numbness in arms and legs (National Cancer Institute). MRI and CT scans as well as surgical biposies (or the removal of part of the tumor to be examined) are used to diagnose brain cancer (National Cancer Institute). Different types of treatment options include radiation therapy, surgery to remove the tumor, and chemotherapy. According to Charles Davis, MD, PhD and Nitin Tandon, MD of WebMD.com, chemotherapy is “ the use of powerful drugs to kill tumor cells”. There are a few different types of chemotherapy, but all of which bring out the same kinds of side effects. Although the physical side effects of chemotherapy are commonly known, few people know of the emotional toll chemotherapy can take on a patient and his or her family as they go though this process.
Treatment is pending on the severity of the cancer. Options for treatment are: surgery, thyroid hormone treatment, radioactive iodine therapy, external radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Depending on the size of the nodule, age and if the cancer has spread, patients are more likely to have more than one treatment. Each treatment plan is developed to meet that patient’s needs. (Thyroid Cancer, 2012)
There are no dates given on the exact history of FTT and it seems that this affliction has been in existence since the beginnings of time. Scoller and Nittur (2012) claims FTT is a clinical condition, as opposed to a diagnosis and it is a label given to infants and children with inadequate growth or weight gain(1234). Growth is commonly assessed at health visits by measuring height, weight, and head circumference.
The main cause of a child being born with proportionate dwarfism is if their parents also happen to be affected with this condition. Proportionate dwarfism can also occur when the body does not produce enough growth hormone. This can be present at birth if there is problems with the pituitary gland or it can be linked as part of another condition. Proportionate dwarfism can also occur during childhood if there is an injury to
Swan, S.H., F. Liu, J.W. Overstreet, C. Brazil, and N.E. Skakkebaek. "Growth Hormones Fed to
How does one see the symptoms for childhood cancer? First one must know that there are many different types. There are forty different types of children’s cancer, including: Leukemia, Lymphoma, Sarcomas, cancers of the nervous system, liver cancers, kidney cancer, and more. Out of these cancers, the two most common childhood cancers are Leukemia, and brain tumors. What is leukemia? It is a cancer in which the bone marrow and other organs that produce blood produce and increased amount of immature or abnormal white blood cells. The symptoms of leukemia are paleness, excessive bruising, pain in the joints, and fatigue. Brain tumors are formed when a massive amount of cells are produced on the brain. The symptoms for this are frequent headaches, vomiting, seizures, decreased coordination, weakness, and problems concerning vision.
However, if the bone involved is deep within the body tissues, then a lump cannot be noticed. If the bone cancer involves a joint, then the swelling and redness may make using the joint difficult. IF the affected joint is in the leg, it can cause a limp and if it involves spine, it may press on nerves, causing numbness and tingling in the limbs. If the bones of the neck is affected with cancer then, a lump may develop on the back of the throat that can lead to trouble swallowing or breathing trouble.
“The Selfish Giant” is Oscar Wilde’s story about a giant that is selfish to all the children in his village, but once the weather turned on him he changed his ways. The giant couldn 't handle the harsh winter and seeing a child upset so his heart changed and he was no longer selfish. At the end he was taken to heaven for being a non selfish giant. Wilde used imagery, setting, characters, and plot to make “The Selfish Giant” a marvelous story.