acromegaly

American  

[ak-ruh-meg-uh-lee] / ˌæk rəˈmɛg ə li /

noun

Pathology.

1. a chronic disease characterized by enlargement of the bones of the head, the soft parts of the feet and hands, and sometimes other structures, due to excessive secretion of growth hormone by the pituitary gland.

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acromegaly British  

/ ˌækrəʊˈmɛɡəlɪ /

noun

1. a chronic disease characterized by enlargement of the bones of the head, hands, and feet, and swelling and enlargement of soft tissue, esp the tongue. It is caused by excessive secretion of growth hormone by the pituitary gland Compare gigantism

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Other Word Forms

• pseudoacromegaly
  noun
• acromegalic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of acromegaly

1885–90; < French acromégalie < New Latin acromegalia. See acro-, -megaly

Compare meaning

How does acromegaly compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• acromegaly vs. gigantism

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

acromegaly

Crinetics Chief Executive Scott Struthers said Vertex’s global infrastructure and commercial footprint would maximize the impact of Palsonify, an oral therapy for adults with acromegaly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

Their AI model demonstrated very high sensitivity and specificity when identifying acromegaly from the hand images.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 4, 2026

In recent decades, DNA tests have shown Byrne carried a gene mutation that can cause tumors near the pituitary gland, which in turn causes extreme growth, called acromegaly.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 24, 2023

Since then, scientists who have studied his skeleton have determined that he had a tumor that caused acromegaly and gigantism, conditions in which the body produces too much growth hormone.

From New York Times ● Jan. 21, 2023

The conditions of development may be such that both sides are equally defective in nerve supply, so that when acromegaly occurs it may attack both sides equally.

From Degeneracy Its Causes, Signs and Results by Eugene S. Talbot