Title |
Epidemiology of acromegaly: review of population studies
|
---|---|
Published in |
Pituitary, October 2016
|
DOI | 10.1007/s11102-016-0754-x |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Aikaterini Lavrentaki, Alessandro Paluzzi, John A. H. Wass, Niki Karavitaki |
Abstract |
Acromegaly is a rare condition necessitating large population studies for the generation of reliable epidemiological data. In this review, we systematically analysed the epidemiological profile of this condition based on recently published population studies from various geographical areas. The total prevalence ranges between 2.8 and 13.7 cases per 100,000 people and the annual incidence rates range between 0.2 and 1.1 cases/100,000 people. The median age at diagnosis is in the fifth decade of life with a median diagnostic delay of 4.5-5 years. Acral enlargement and coarse facial features are the most commonly described clinical manifestations. At the time of detection, most of the tumors are macroadenomas possibly relating to diagnostic delays and posing challenges in the surgical management. Increased awareness of acromegaly amongst the medical community is of major importance aiming to reduce the adverse sequelae of late diagnosis and treatment, improve patient outcomes and, hopefully, reduce the burden on the health care system. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 1 | 50% |
Unknown | 1 | 50% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 2 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
France | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 284 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Bachelor | 42 | 15% |
Student > Master | 28 | 10% |
Other | 23 | 8% |
Student > Postgraduate | 22 | 8% |
Researcher | 21 | 7% |
Other | 47 | 16% |
Unknown | 102 | 36% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 124 | 44% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 10 | 4% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 5 | 2% |
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 4 | 1% |
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | 4 | 1% |
Other | 25 | 9% |
Unknown | 113 | 40% |