A retrospective evaluation of anthropometric, biochemical, radiological data and the frequency of hepatosteatosis in patients followed up with a diagnosis of acromegaly

Objective: Acromegaly is a rare endocrinological disorder characterized by an excess of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), usually due to a pituitary adenoma. The aim of this study is to evaluate the frequency of hepatosteatosis and its relationship with the clinical course of the disease by analyzing the anthropometric, biochemical, and radiological data of patients followed up with a diagnosis of acromegaly. Methods: This study includes the retrospective data of 70 acromegaly patients who were followed up at the Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases Outpatient Clinic between 2018 and 2024. The demographic, laboratory, and radiological findings of the patients, as well as surgical and pathology reports and treatment methods, were examined. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) 18.0 software. Results: The mean age of the patients was 52.77±12.95 years, while the age at diagnosis was found to be 43.67±12.55 years. Among patients with pituitary adenomas, 85.0% had macroadenomas, and 15.0% had microadenomas. Surgical treatment was performed in 94.2% of the patients, with remission achieved in 30.7% of cases after surgery. The frequency of hepatosteatosis was 45.4%, and although hepatosteatosis was more frequently observed in patients in remission compared to those with active disease, the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05). At the time of diagnosis, 74.6% (n=44) of the patients exhibited symptoms such as enlargement of acral regions and the face, while 42.4% (n=25) reported headaches; however, no significant difference was found between macroadenomas and microadenomas. The presence of colonic polyps was significantly higher in the active disease group compared to patients in remission. In our study, IGF-1 levels measured at the 6th postoperative month were found to be significantly higher in patients with disease recurrence compared to those who achieved remission (p=0.046). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that patients diagnosed with acromegaly face multiple comorbidities, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, and malignancies, which tend to be more pronounced in cases of biochemically active disease. Furthermore, we hypothesized that elevated IGF-1 levels in active disease might have a protective effect against hepatosteatosis. Based on literature data, we suggest that further studies on larger populations are needed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of cyclic IGF-1 replacement in the treatment of lipodystrophy and hepatosteatosis.