[Giganto-acromegaly: a report of a case]

The occurrence of acromegaly before the end of the growth period is very rare. We report a case of a patient who presented an acromegalo-gigantism. His height reached 2.45 m and his weight 145 kg. He had a typical facial dysmorphy and an insulin requiring diabetes mellitus. There was no sign of cardio-respiratory failure or of endocrine deficiencies. The echocardiography showed that the left ventricule was moderately dilated and hypertrophied but the systolic function was preserved. Hormonal investigation revealed high growth hormone [GH] levels without suppression after oral glucose load. Other pituitary secretions were normal. Initial tomodensitometry revealed an invasive macroadenoa. The patient had two trans-sphenoidal resections of the tumor completed by radiotherapy [45 Gy]. Afterwards, because of still unsuppressed GH levels, the patient was treated with Octreotide. This first published case of acromegalo-gigantism in Tunisia is particular not only by its rarity but also by its moderated effects on vital functions in spite of along spontaneous evolution

[Cortisol rhythm during Ramadan]

We studied the nyctohemeral cortisol secretion rhythm and the cortisol response to 1-24 corticotropin during Ramadan in 11 healthy, male volunteers aged 20-35 years. Their response to 250 mg 1-24 corticotropin was investigated 2 weeks before Ramadan by testing daily at 08:00 and 20:00 hours. After 16-22 days of fasting, their cortisol levels were measured at 08:00 hours and their response to 1-24 corticotropin at 20:00 hours. Before Ramadan, the baseline cortisol level was significantly higher at 08:00 hours than at 20:00 hours and the cortisol response to 1-24 corticotropin was also higher at 08:00 hours but this difference was not significant. During Ramadan, the cortisol level at 08:00 hours was lower than at the same time before Ramadan; the level at 20:00 hours was slightly higher than at the same time before Ramadan. There was no significant difference between the cortisol response to 1-24 corticotropin at 20:00 hours during Ramadan and the responses before Ramadan at 20:00 hours and 08:00 hours