How is acromegaly diagnosed?

How is acromegaly diagnosed?

Symptoms of acromegaly often show up very slowly, over many years. This makes it hard to diagnose.

Doctors who suspect acromegaly may order these tests to diagnose the condition:

• Blood tests: Growth hormone and IGF-I blood tests measure different types of growth hormone levels in your blood. If these levels are high, your doctor might order a glucose tolerance test to confirm an acromegaly diagnosis. Glucose tolerance tests tell doctors whether your body’s growth hormone levels react to glucose (sugar) the way they should. For this test, you’ll have blood taken at different intervals after you drink a glucose solution.
• Imaging tests: If blood tests confirm that you have acromegaly, your doctor will probably recommend an MRI scan, which can clearly show the size and location of a tumor and help determine the proper treatments.