Bones of 18th Century Acromegalic Taken Off Museum Display

Photo courtesy of the Queen Mary University of London.

The bones of an 18th century acromegalic Irish man named Charles Byrne were on display as a medical curiosity for 140 years before being taken off display, in accordance with his last wishes. Byrne was almost 8 feet tall when he died in 1783 and had requested a burial at sea, however a friend sold his body to a surgeon named John Hunter. It eventually ended up on display at the Hunterian Museum, which is affiliated with the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Read more:

Transsphenoidal Pituitary Neurosurgery: A Moment by Moment Account

Dr. Mazda Turel, a neurosurgeon in Mumbai, India, tells the story of a transsphenoidal surgery he performed. He explains each step in a drama with perilous twists and turns. Read more:

Cushing’s Case Report: Severe Infection and Electrolyte Imbalance

An article in Cushing’s Disease News looks at the case of an 82-year-old woman who presented with a severe muscle infection and an imbalance of electrolytes. She was diagnosed with Cushing’s but passed away from infectious complications from a surgery before she could be treated for Cushing’s. Read more:

11-year-old Patient Battles Tumor Pressing on Pituitary

An article in Spring Advertiser.co tells the story of an 11-year-old girl who is battling optic nerve hypoplasia – and has a schwannoma pressing on her pituitary. Read more:

Doctor Notices Symptoms of Acromegaly in Patient’s Wife

A story in the Times of India explains how a neurologist, treating a patient for back pain, noticed some changes in the patient’s wife’s face. The wife had accompanied her husband to his appointment, and the doctor noticed that her nose and lips appeared larger, and her teeth more spaced out. He asked if her shoe size had gotten bigger, and when she answered in the affirmative he sent her for tests, which revealed that she had harbored a tumor for two years. he Mayo Clinic has produced a podcast with frequently asked questions on pituitary tumors. Check it out here

Tips on Getting Through Your First Brain MRI

A column in Cushing’s Disease News goes through what to expect during a brain MRI, and how to calm your nerves. Read more:

Does the Pituitary Help People Wake Up Just Before the Alarm?

A story on NPR looks at whether people can train themselves to wake up just before the alarm and the role the pituitary might play. It cites one study from the 90s that did find that when people were expecting to wake up at a certain time, their pituitary released ACTH about an hour before the wake time, which stimulates the adrenals to release cortisol, which helps wake people up.. Read more:

Florida 10-year-old Battles Cancer on Pituitary Gland

A story on CBS Miami follows a 10-year-old girl in Homestead, Florida who is fighting mixed germ cell cancer that is taking over her pituitary gland. Her little brother shaved his head in solidarity.  Read more: 

Acromegalic, Known as World’s Tallest Man, Turns 40

Acromegalic Sultan Kosen, who is known as the world’s tallest man at 8’3”, has turned 40 . He traveled from Turkey to Orlando to visit an exhibit about Robert Wadlow, who was 8’11” when he passed away at age 22 in 1940. Modern medical advances have helped many acromegalics lead long lives.  Read More:

Pituitary Journey: Soccer Star Lionel Messi

An article on News9Live.com explains that international soccer star Lionel Messi suffered from pituitary dwarfism as a child and received growth hormone injections that allowed him to pursue his athletic dreams. Read more: