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, ˌækrəʊmɪˈɡælɪk /

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

• acromegalic
  adjective
• pseudoacromegaly
  noun

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

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

According to his profile on the International Paralympic Committee website, he was diagnosed with acromegaly when he was younger.

From Fox News • Sep. 1, 2021

The authors agree with Dana and others that there is an intimate relation between acromegaly and gigantism, but they go further and compare both to the growth of the body.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)