Recently I watched a video on Edmodo about Pituitary Gigantism and Acromegaly. Pituitary Gigantism is caused when there is a tumor on your pituitary gland that triggers a surge that causes excess growth hormones. This is what leads to the huge size of Pituitary Giants.
The excess growth hormones produce large internal organs. Pituitary giants have organs that are two times the normal volume of regular organs. Their organs are the right size for their bodies though becuase their bodies are two times the normal volume also.
The only organ that is the same size as the average human is the brain. This is because the excess growth hormaone makes the walls of the skull grow thicker. This gives the brain extra protection but it makes the cavity stay the same size. This prevents the brain from growing any bigger then the size of an average human.
Usually when you see a Pituitary Giant you associate their size with a lot of strenth. They do have a lot of muscle mass and have big muscles but giants are not as strong as they look. The excess growth hormones also cause an excess of salt in the muscle tissue. The salt makes the muscles swell up with water making the muscles bigger but not stronger. Their muscle development is also affected by the way their bones grew. In their extreme growth sometimes the nerves on one side of a muscle grow faster then the other side. This cause the bone to curve and it causes the muscles to be like rubber bands that are to long and to slack. In the end the muscles are weaker. Pituitary giants have bodies that are "wired" differently then the average person and this can also affect their muscle power. The excess of growth hormone causes problems with the peripheral nervous system. This makes a change on the way the skeletal muscles move. Their peripheral nerves span out from the centeral nerves of the brain and the spinal column. These nerves cause electrical impulses at very very high speeds(more than 200 miles per hour!) that cause the muscles to contract. These peripheral nerves are made of long cells that are surrounded by a protective insulation, think of electrical wires. In pituitary gigantism the excess growth hormone causes the inflimation to swell up. This restricts the movement of the nerve impulses and restricts the movement of the skeletal muscles. Their muscles lose strength and don't work like they usually would. Regular activities, like walking, can be tiring because of the excess growth hormone that gives them their size also makes them more tired.
Sometimes these hormones never stop. Sometimes surgery, radiation, therapy,and drugs can be used to get the excess growth hormone under control and stop the growing in pituitary giants. If the growth hormone doesn't get under control their bones still grow. The bones don't grow taller though. The bones grow thicker. This is called Acromegalic Gigantism. Once the body can't get any taller the bones start growing larger and becomemore prominent. The obvious signs of this are usually in the skull. Acromegaly causes a more prominent forehead, makes the eyebrow bones bulge, and causes more prominent cheekbones. It also causes the lower jaw to grow and push the bottom teeth out past the upper teeth. It can also cause a broader nose, thicker lips, and a larger tounge with a lower voice. Many giants have a male sounding voice. They can become winded very easily.
After doing further research I learned that most cases of Pituitary Gigantism can be helped with pituitary surgery. This surgery is known to usually cure most cases. The next choice of treatment for most people is medication. The most effective medications known are somatostatin analogs. These reduce the release of growth hormone. There is also a medication known as Dopamine agonists. These have not been proven as effective the other though. Sometimes radiation has been used as cures.
To see the video that taught me A LOT follow this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebhf1qKVA9A
To read the article I read follow this link:
http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/gigantism/overview.html
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