Gigantism in Ecuador: analysis of the first report published in 1841
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Abstract
Gigantism is a rare disease that is characterized by excessive production of growth hormone (GH) when the epiphyses have not yet closed, and has an annual incidence of 8 to 11 cases per million inhabitants. Most cases are due to a pituitary adenoma, it can occur sporadically or due to a hereditary factor, with a genetic cause having been found in a little less than 50% of cases. The main symptom of the disease is an abnormally increased growth, which affects the musculoskeletal system, and is accompanied by other concomitant morbidities. We analyze a publication from 1841 by Dr. Abel Victorino Brandin, in which he describes the case of an indigenous patient with gigantism, from a small town in Cayambe – Ecuador. The original description of the case has good quality, despite the use of some words that are currently not politically correct, summarizing the characteristics of a woman with harmonious overgrowth. This contribution seeks to promote the rescue and reanalysis of iconic cases from the Ecuadorian medical literature, to improve the understanding of the history of medicine in the country, and in this specific case within the state of the art about gigantism.
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