182 ENDOCRINE GLANDS 



EVOLUTION. 



Gigantism is a disease nearly always found in men. It 

 may begin either at puberty, or earlier in childhood. 



Gigantism may stop its evolution at a certain point. 

 It is then called definite. But growth is susceptible to 

 prolongate itself beyond adult life. The gigantism is then 

 called progressive. 



The majority of these subjects die young, and rarely live 

 over 40. They emaciate, become cachectic and nearly al- 

 ways end up by developing pulmonary tuberculosis. 



ETIOLOGY. 



Autopsies on giants, just as in acromegalia, have shown 

 nearly constantly the existence of a tumor of the pituitary. 

 The examination of the skeletons of giants, which have 

 been preserved, in several museums have all shown to 

 Langer an increase in the volume of the sella tursica. 



RELATIONSHIP OF GIGANTISM TO ACROMEGALIA. 

 Brissaud and Meige then Launois and Roy have main- 

 tained that gigantism and acromegalia are two affections 

 having very close connections. Brissaud considers these 

 two dystrophies as one and the same disease, appearing 

 at different ages. Gigantism is acromegalia of adolescence. 

 Acromegalia is the gigantism of adults. Acromegaliagi- 

 gantism is realized when the exuberance of bones, began 

 in childhood, is continued in adult life. 



P. Marie believes that the two diseases, while having 

 certain points of similarity, are independent. Further- 

 more, the existence of acromegalia in children (Hutinel) 

 seems to refute the theory of Brissaud. 



Whatever their relationships, gigantism and acromegalia 

 seem to be due to a hyperplasia and a hyperf unction of the 



