Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate effectiveness of somatostatin analog (SSA) treatment in patients with acromegaly.

Methods: The study involved retrospective data collection from charts of 29 patients with acromegaly who received medical therapy at Vilnius University Hospital Santariskiu klinikos in 2016.

Results: Patient population consisted of 10 males (34.5%) and 19 females (65.5%), mean age 58±26 years. Primary SSA therapy was administered in 13 (44.8%) patients who refused or had contraindications to surgical treatment. Secondary medical therapy was applied in 16 (55.2%) of patients with recurrent disease after transsphenoidal surgery. 28 patients received SSA treatment (6 of them in combination with a dopamine agonist (DA)), 18 patients recieved high-dose SSA treatment (Sandostatin LAR 40 mg or Somatuline Autogel 120 mg every 4 weeks). Based on GH and IGF-1 results, control and partial control was achieved in 16 (57.1%) and 8 (28.6%) patients receiving SSA treatment (±DA). 4 (14.3%) medically treated patients remained uncontrolled. High-dose SSA treatment failed to achieve disease control in 4 (22.2%) of patients. Disease control and partial control was attained in 5 (38.5%) and 5 (38.5%) of patients with primary SSA treatment and in 12 (75%) and 3 (18.8%) of patients with SSA treatment after transsphenoidal surgery. We found higher mean IGF-1 level in primary SSA treatment group as compared to secondary SSA treatment patients (455±56 μg/l vs 307±40 μg/l, P=0.04)

Conclusions: SSA treatment (±DA) results in disease control in 57.1% of patients with acromegaly. High-dose SSA treatment failed to achieve disease control in 22.2% of patients. SSAs are more effective when applied after transsphenoidal surgery as disease control is achieved in greater percentage of patients and mean IGF-1 level is lower when compared to patients who refused or had contraindications to surgical treatment.