112 



The Endocrine Organs 



retrogression in the growth of the skeleton and body can generally be 

 expected. Thus the occurrence of hyperplasia and hyperpituitarism during 

 adolescence leading to a general overgrowth of the body and unusual growth 

 of hair, and sometimes accompanied by sexual precocity, may be followed 

 by glandular hypoplasia and diminution of the sexual instinct even 

 proceeding to impotence; as well as by excessive adiposity and the 



Fig. 80. — X-ray photograph of hand from the case of infantilism shown in the preceding 

 figure. (Byrom Bramwell.) Notice the slender phalanges and the still detached 

 epiphyses. Reduced from 6^ inches. 



assumption by the male of some of the feminine characteristics which 

 have been above described as associated with hypopituitarism. This alter- 

 ation in the signs of disease complicates the clinical features of many 

 cases ; the complications can only be unravelled by a careful study of the 

 history of each case. 



In many instances where the affection begins with hyperplasia of the 

 gland and subsequent changes produce destruction or degeneration of the 

 enlarged organ, leading eventually to apituitarism, these changes may 

 occupy years in their development, but the patient ultimately loses strength 

 and gradually wastes. Under such circumstances death results under 



