Musculoskeletal ImagingGigantism
abnormal size and stature attributable to excessive growth, such as that occurring in the immature skeleton in
hyperpituitarism. When the
growth plates have not yet closed, direct hormonal stimulation of endochondral bone formation takes place, leading to proportional increase of bones in both length and width. The overgrowth of bones from hypersecretion of growth hormone that occurs after the growth plates have fused is termed
acromegaly; this abnormality affects predominantly the hands, feet and lower jaw. Other forms of excessive growth include
cerebral gigantism, elephantoid hypertrophy of an entire limb or finger in
neurofibromatosis, local soft tissue and bone gigantism in
Klippel Trenaunay Weber syndrome,
macrodystrophia lipomatosa and
lipoatrophic diabetes. The
radiographic differential diagnosis of localized gigantism includes both
congenital and acquired causes. The latter include dactylitis secondary to infection,
trauma,
infarction,
Stills disease,
osteoid osteoma and
melorheostosis).
DR