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Increased prevalence of gallbladder polyps in acromegaly
Anand K Annamalai1, Emma L Gayton, Alison Webb
1Institute of Metabolic ScienceAddenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, CB2 0QQ Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Summary
Patients with acromegaly have a significantly higher prevalence of gallbladder polyps (GBP). This study suggests acromegaly patients may need gallbladder surveillance due to increased polyp risk.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
- Oncology
Background:
- Acromegaly is linked to increased tumor prevalence, including colon neoplasms.
- Gallbladder epithelium resembles colon epithelium, suggesting potential for gallbladder polyps (GBP) in acromegaly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of gallbladder polyps (GBP) in patients with newly diagnosed acromegaly.
- To compare GBP rates in acromegaly patients with a general population cohort.
- To examine associations between growth hormone (GH) and IGF-I levels and GBP in acromegaly.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case-cohort study comparing 31 acromegaly patients with 13,234 controls.
- Biliary ultrasonography was used to assess GBP prevalence.
- Analysis of GH and IGF-I levels in relation to GBP.
Main Results:
- Gallbladder polyps (GBP) were significantly more prevalent in acromegaly patients (29.03%) versus controls (4.62%), with a relative risk of 6.29.
- Higher growth hormone (GH) levels were observed in acromegaly patients with GBP.
- Most acromegaly patients with GBP were over 50 years old.
Conclusions:
- This study is the first to report an increased prevalence of gallbladder polyps (GBP) in newly diagnosed acromegaly patients.
- Further research is needed to assess the risk of gallbladder carcinoma in these patients.
- The role of biliary ultrasound surveillance in acromegaly patients requires definition.
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