Vol 58, No 4 (2007)
Review paper
Published online: 2007-05-17
The importance of presurgical somatostatin analogue therapy in acromegaly
Endokrynol Pol 2007;58(4):356-360.
Abstract
Different types of treatment, including surgery, medical therapy and radiotherapy, are possible in achieving control of
acromegaly. Of the medical therapies available, somatostatin analogues are effective in the majority of patients and can
induce pituitary tumour shrinkage. The rationale and outcome of somatostatin analogue treatment before surgery in patients
with acromegaly is briefly presented. In summary, the benefits of somatostatin analogues given preoperatively should
be considered carefully as optimisation of cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic functions is clinically relevant for
perioperative morbidity. Somatostatin analogues also induce significant shrinkage of GH-secreting pituitary tumours, although
this does not seem to be helpful in terms of improved surgical outcome.
(Pol J Endocrinol 2007; 58 (4): 356-360)
Keywords: acromegalysomatostatin analoguestumour shrinkagepituitary tumour surgery
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