64: GLANDS IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 



complicates the situation, is the mixed or transition 

 type, exhibiting some features of the hyper- and 

 the hypo- conditions (cfo/s-pituitarism). 



Of 255 cases that have come under Professor 

 Cushing's care, 200 showed evidence of a tumor 

 which of itself may give rise to a hyper- or hypo- 

 condition, or to a mixture of both. Of these 200, 

 180 were operated on, and among the latter there 

 were few acromegalics. The majority exhibited 

 various forms of dyspituitarism. 



Professor Gushing writes: "In view of the fact 

 that hyper-pituitarism, so far as glandular secre- 

 tion is concerned, is a condition which tends to 

 right itself, it must remain for the time being a 

 matter of uncertainty as to whether or not in the 

 absence of a degree of hyperplasia (excessive multi- 

 plication of tissue elements) sufficient to cause 

 neighborhood symptoms, operative measures can 

 hold out any promise of permanently controlling 

 the disorder. When, however, neighborhood symp- 

 toms have arisen owing to the extreme enlargement 

 of the gland, due to the' formation of an adinoma- 

 tous struma (a tumor in an enlarged gland), 

 whether or not there have been antecedent symp- 

 toms of acromegaly, the surgical aspects of the 

 matter stand on firmer ground." 



Do giants suffer from hyper-pituitarism? One 

 is attracted by the hypothesis that giants are ex- 

 amples of men suffering from hyper-pituitarism. 



