Warning Signs Of Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1

Acromegaly

Acromegaly is an uncommon disorder where the pituitary gland produces an abnormally high amount of growth hormone in the body. The pituitary gland is located in the center of the brain, and it is responsible for the production of several different hormones. These hormones manage body functions like reproduction, growth, metabolism, and development. When growth hormone is secreted into the bloodstream by the pituitary gland, the liver responds with the production of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor I or IGF-I. Individuals with MEN 1 may develop a tumor in the pituitary gland called an adenoma. Although adenomas are benign or noncancerous, they compress surrounding tissues and produce an excess amount of growth hormone. The high levels of growth hormone cause the liver to produce an abnormally high quantity of IGF-I hormone. It is the excess IGF-I hormone that actually results in the overgrowth of tissues throughout the body in acromegaly. The most common manifestations that appear in patients affected by acromegaly are organ enlargement and bone overgrowth.

Vision Changes

Vision changes may manifest in individuals with MEN 1 when a tumor in the pituitary gland becomes large enough to compress neighboring nerves or components of the brain. The benign or noncancerous form of a tumor that causes vision changes is called a macroadenoma. A large malignant or cancerous tumor of the pituitary gland is called a carcinoma. A carcinoma or macroadenoma that forms in the pituitary gland as a result of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 can cause many symptoms that involve and impair an individual's vision. A weakness of the eye muscle may occur, which causes the eyes to lose their normal ability to move in the same direction at the same time. A patient may also experience a loss of their peripheral vision, double vision, and blurry vision. Headaches, dizziness, and loss of consciousness are also common with these types of tumors. In individuals who have MEN 1, these symptoms will manifest once the tumor has grown large enough to pinch the nerves located between the brain and the eyes.