Acromegaly and spinal stenosis

Abstract

Spinal stenosis is a well defined clinical entity that is occasionally encountered in patients with acromegaly. Persistent elevation of growth hormone promotes hypertrophy of the bones and ligaments, resulting in widening of the thoracolumbar vertebral bodies, and developmental narrowing of the spinal canal. This report describes the case of a 54-yr-old acromegalic man [with pituitary tumor] with a 30-yr history of low-back pain, who developed symptoms of spinal stenosis. This case and 2 similar cases from the literature are discussed, and the appropirate therapeutic approaches reviewed.