The heart in acromegaly: an echocardiographic study.

We used echocardiography to study anatomic and functional changes of the heart in 25 patients with acromegaly. Asymmetric septal hypertrophy was found in 10 patients, in the range of 12 to 30 mm, with an average of 16 mm. The degree of septum-thickness was severe in 1 case, marked in 5 cases and mild in 4 cases. Concentric left ventricular hypertrophy was present in 1 patient. In 8 patients the left ventricle was normal and left ventricular dilatation of more than 60 mm was present in 6 cases. Except in one patient, the ejection fraction was decreased in the dilated group, indicating diminished myocardial contractility. The growth hormone level was higher in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy as compared to those patients with normal or dilated left ventricles. In acromegaly primary myocardial hypertrophy may be related to the growth hormone level.