Question

Kyle, a 5-year-old boy, has been growing by leaps and bounds; his height is 100% above normal for his age. He has been complaining of headaches and vision problems. A CT scan reveals a large pituitary tumor.

A) Which hormone is being secreted in excess?
B) Which condition will Kyle exhibit if corrective measures are not taken?
C) What is the probable cause of the headaches and visual problems?

Answer 1

The human body thrives on the balance of all its factors, including hormones that mediate the responses that our bodies give in different circumstances. During childhood development, these balances are vital for normal functioning. In Kyle´s case, this balance has been disrupted completely by the appearance of a pituitary tumor, which is clearly affecting the secretion of hormones, especially those who make his body enlarge and grow. Given this small background, the answers to your questions, are:

1. The hormone that is being affected by being secreted in excess by the pituitary is the hGH, human growth hormone, also known as somatotropin. It is the one responsible to signal all cells of the body to allow growth and development.

2. The condition that Kyle will exhibit if the corrective measures are not taken in time, is known as gigantism, or giantism. A condition in which the body enlarges beyond what is expected and there is disbalance in the height, and size of certain parts of the body.

3. The probable cause of the headaches and also the visual problems that Kyle is displaying is that the tumor in the pituitary is growing to protrude inferiorly from the gland and it is probably pressing on the optic chiasma of the child.