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Respiratory problems in acromegaly

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

N. J. Murrant  and
D. J. Gatland
N. J. Murrant*
Affiliation:
London
D. J. Gatland
Affiliation:
London
*
N. J. Murrant, Ear, Nose and Throat Department, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London EC1A 7BE.
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Abstract

Death from respiratory causes in acromegaly is three times more common than in the general population and is most often the result of upper airways obstruction, although less commonly pulmonary dysfunction and disturbance of the central nervous system may occur. These factors may be found alone or in combination.

Despite several reports of laryngeal involvement, upper airway obstruction in acromegaly is usually regarded as being due to macroglossia and pharyngeal soft tissue hypertrophy. We present four cases of acromegaly in which tracheostomy was required for laryngeal obstruction, with a review of the literature concerning the nature of respiratory problems in acromegaly.

Type
Clinical Records
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 104 , Issue 1 , January 1990 , pp. 52 - 55
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1990

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