Editing Growth hormone (section)

===Excess===
The most common disease of GH excess is a pituitary tumor composed of somatotroph cells of the anterior pituitary. These somatotroph [[adenoma]]s are benign and grow slowly, gradually producing more and more GH. For years, the principal clinical problems are those of GH excess. Eventually, the adenoma may become large enough to cause headaches, impair vision by pressure on the optic nerves, or cause deficiency of other pituitary hormones by displacement.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

Prolonged GH excess thickens the bones of the jaw, fingers and toes, resulting in heaviness of the jaw and increased size of digits, referred to as [[acromegaly]]. Accompanying problems can include sweating, pressure on nerves (e.g., [[carpal tunnel syndrome]]), muscle weakness, excess [[sex hormone-binding globulin]] (SHBG), insulin resistance or even a rare form of [[Diabetes mellitus type 2|type 2 diabetes]], and reduced sexual function.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

GH-secreting tumors are typically recognized in the fifth decade of life. It is extremely rare for such a tumor to occur in childhood, but, when it does, the excessive GH can cause excessive growth, traditionally referred to as [[gigantism|pituitary gigantism]].{{cn|date=November 2024}}

Surgical removal is the usual treatment for GH-producing tumors. In some circumstances, focused radiation or a GH antagonist such as [[pegvisomant]] may be employed to shrink the tumor or block function. Other drugs like [[octreotide]] (somatostatin agonist) and [[bromocriptine]] ([[dopamine agonist]]) can be used to block GH secretion because both somatostatin and [[dopamine]] negatively inhibit GHRH-mediated GH release from the anterior pituitary.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Varlamov EV, McCartney S, Fleseriu M | title = Functioning Pituitary Adenomas - Current Treatment Options and Emerging Medical Therapies | journal = European Endocrinology | volume = 15 | issue = 1 | pages = 30–40 | date = April 2019 | pmid = 31244908 | pmc = 6587904 | doi = 10.17925/EE.2019.15.1.30 }}</ref>