Neuromuscular complications of acromegaly

Seventeen consecutive acromegalic patients were evaluated for evidence of neuromuscular dysfunction and followed for 1 year after hypophysectomy. Before treatment, four patients had both a myopathy and the carpal tunnel syndrome, five had myopathy alone, four had carpal tunnel syndrome alone, and four had neither. The myopathy was caracterized by mild, strictly promixal weakness and flabbiness of muscles; electromyography revealed typical myopathic abnormalities, but serum enzymes and muscle biopsy usually were normal. The presence of myopathy or the carpal tunnel syndrrome could not be correlated with the magnitude of growth hormone elevation or any secondary endocrine derangement, but myopathy was associated with a longer duration of acromegaly. Carpal tunnel symptoms usually improved in the first 6 weeks after hypophysectomy, while myopathy improved more slowly and sometimes was detectable 1 year later.