A case of acromegaly identified after patient complaint of apertognathia

Acromegaly results from the over production of growth hormone after the age at which the epiphyses of the bones have fused. The most common cause is an adenoma of the anterior pituitary gland. Early signs and symptoms are subtle and delayed diagnosis is common. The health consequences of untreated acromegaly are considerable. A brief description of the condition is given and a case report is included. The condition of the patient was first diagnosed after a dental examination at which he voiced a complaint of the inability to incise and a progressive open bite that he attributed to prosthetic treatment. On the basis of his intraoral radiograph history, it is probable that he developed the disease more than 5 years before its diagnosis.