Disappearance of a growth hormone secreting macro adenoma during long-term somatostatin analogue administration and recurrence following somatostatin withdrawal

Hormones (Athens). 2006 Jan-Mar;5(1):57-63. doi: 10.14310/horm.2002.11169.

Abstract

Acromegaly is caused by excessive growth hormone secretion, usually from a pituitary adenoma. The use of somatostatin analogues as primary or adjunctive therapy has been widely applied in the management of acromegaly. We are aware of only three reported cases of complete shrinkage of a pituitary adenoma after long-term analogue administration. However in these cases, the reduction in the dimension of the adenoma was obtained with the everyday use of somatostatin analogues and not with the newer longer acting formulations. We report a patient in whom long term (62 months) lanreotide-L.A.R administration resulted in complete disappearance of a growth hormone secreting pituitary macroadenoma, followed by recurrence of the adenoma six months post therapy discontinuation.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acromegaly / drug therapy
  • Adenoma / drug therapy
  • Adenoma / metabolism*
  • Adenoma / pathology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Female
  • Human Growth Hormone / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local*
  • Peptides, Cyclic / administration & dosage*
  • Pituitary Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Pituitary Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Pituitary Neoplasms / pathology
  • Somatostatin / administration & dosage
  • Somatostatin / analogs & derivatives*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Peptides, Cyclic
  • lanreotide
  • Human Growth Hormone
  • Somatostatin