The Birmingham pituitary database: auditing the outcome of the treatment of acromegaly

Reduction of GH concentrations in acromegalic subjects may improve the increased mortality associated with the condition. Audit of the biochemical outcome of the management of acromegaly is, therefore, important.

(1) To audit the biochemical 'cure' rate of acromegalic patients treated by surgery and/or radiotherapy under the care of the South Birmingham Endocrine Clinic. (2) To assess the correlation between random or basal GH with IGF-I and nadir GH during an oral glucose tolerance test.

Ascertainment of acromegalic patients from a pituitary database. Mode of therapy, pretreatment GH, pretreatment tumour size, post-treatment GH, post-treatment IGF-I and post-treatment nadir GH were recorded. Biochemical cure was defined as a most recent random or basal GH < 5 mU/l. Cure rates were determined.

Eighty-nine acromegalic patients were identified as having received surgery and/or radiotherapy. In 35/89 (39%) the most recent GH was < 5 mU/l. The cure rate following surgery was 26/78 (33%). This was not significantly associated with tumour size, but was associated with pretreatment GH concentration (chi 2 = 7.1, 2d.f., P < 0.05). Random/basal GH showed a log-linear association with IGF-I, r = 0.72, and a linear association with nadir GH, r = 0.93.

Biochemical cure of acromegaly was more strongly associated with pretreatment GH than with tumour size. Random/basal GH measurements are useful and convenient for the audit of treatment outcome in acromegaly. Ways of improving the biochemical outcome of acromegaly should be sought.