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Experiences with octreotide in acromegaly

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Abstract

We report experiences in 3 patients with acromegaly while using the somatostatin analogue octreotide

In case 1, a 44 year old male developed pneumococcal meningitis 3 months after having transphenoidal surgery for a pituitary tumour. This occurred with the re-emergence of communication between the surgical tract and the C.S.F.

In case 2 a 52 year old male with insulin resistant diabetes mellitus requiring 240 units/day, with greatly elevated growth hormone concentrations was able to stop insulin within 5 days of starting octreotide.

In case 3, a 52 year old male with sleep apnoea syndrome, respiratory failure and resitant heart failure made a dramatic improvement which is maintained 2 years later.

All cases were associated with substantial falls in growth hormone and insulin like growth factor-1 concentrations.

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O’Hare, J.A., Abuaisha, F. & Cotter, T. Experiences with octreotide in acromegaly. I.J.M.S. 162, 40–42 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02942899

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