[Clinical and biochemical findings of acromegaly patients (author's transl)].

In 32 cases of acromegaly growth hormone analyses in serum were carried out by means of intra venous dosing of glucose (hyperglycemia suppression test). Both in individual cases and collectively the growth hormone concentrations fluctuate considerably. 19 patients had average concentrations of 10 to 30, 5 of 30 to 70, 4 of more than 100 and 3 patients of 5 to 10 ng/ml. The level of the pathological growth hormone concentrations doesn't correlate with the presumable duration of the affection, the glucose tolerance and the extension of the acromegalic alterations. 5 patients showed an euthyroid recidiv goiter, 4 patients a hypothyroid goiter, 2 of these patients at the same time showed a secondary hypoadrenalism and 3 patients an autonomous thyroid adenoma. The eosinophilic hypophysis tumors were mostly intrasellar. 4 patients out of 5 with suprasellar tumor distension showed an optic chiasm syndrome.