Pseudoacromegaly in congenital generalised lipodystrophy (Berardinelli-Seip syndrome)

Pseudoacromegaly, or acromegaloidism, is characterised by a clinical appearance mimicking acromegaly in the absence of documented hypersomatotropism or past exposure to excess growth hormone. It can develop secondary to a number of congenital and acquired conditions of which severe insulin resistance is an important example. Lipodystrophy syndromes are a group of rare disorders of which autosomal recessive congenital generalised lipodystrophy is the most common type. Patients with this disorder are predisposed to insulin resistance and its associated complications such as diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridaemia, fatty liver, polycystic ovaries and acanthosis nigricans. Elevated circulating insulin levels in these patients rarely can give rise to soft tissue and bony overgrowth, with resultant acromegaloidism. We report an adolescent girl presenting with unusual prominence of her hands and feet; a thorough evaluation ultimately revealed a diagnosis of congenital generalised lipodystrophy.