Developing a Simple Recognition System of Acromegaly

We will compare the features of 3D stereophotography of acromegaly patients with that of healthy people. We hope to develop a computerized model to help screening acromegaly patients for early detection and treatment.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Acromegaly

Detailed Description

Background: Acromegaly is a slowly progressive disease caused by growth hormone (GH) excess. The estimated prevalence of the disease is 40 cases/1000000 population with 3-4 new cases/1000000 population per year. Most patients have classic manifestations due to acral and soft tissue change, including thickening of the calvarium, increased size of frontal sinus, enlargement of the nose, prognathism, and widely spaced teeth. The hands and feet are large, thickened and bulky. Acromegaly was also associated with many comorbidities including cardiovascular complications (acromegalic cardiomyopathy and arterial hypertension), respiratory complications (sleep apnea), metabolic complication (impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes mellitus), joint and bone complications (carpal-tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis).3 The outcome of growth hormone level suppression after transsphenoidal surgery is far better for microadenomas (80-90%) than for macroadenomas (less than 50%). Furthermore, higher growth hormone level at diagnosis was related to poor prognosis. An early detection of acromegaly with early intervention was desirable. However, due to the slowly progression of the disease, times from symptom onset to diagnosis were 5.2 to 5.9 year4.

Current method to diagnose patients with acromegaly was to check serum GH and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). However, tests for growth hormone and IGF-1 are currently unavailable in most hospitals in Taiwan and were expensive. We want to find a better screening tool for acromegaly with less expensive and high efficacy. Due to specific facial appearance of acromegaly, there were studies to recognize acromegaly by computer program1,2,3. They tried to develop computer programs to separate facial photographs of patient with acromegaly and normal subjects. The accuracy could reach 71.9% to 86%. Due to enlarged hand with increased soft tissue in patients with acromegaly, we also want to compare the difference of face, hand and feet morphology and face, hand and feet X ray of acromegaly patients with those of normal population. We hope to set a computer model to early detect acromegaly patients in Chinese people.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 80

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Shyang-Rong Shih, PhD; Phone Number: 886-2-23123456; Email: srshih@ntu.edu.tw

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Taipei, Taiwan, 100
    • Recruiting
    • National Taiwan University Hospital
    • Contact: Shyang-Rong Shih, PhD; Phone Number: 2-23123456; Email: srshih@ntu.edu.tw

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 20 years to 80 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Acromegaly patients and Healthy Adults

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 20-80 years old, Acromegaly patients or Healthy Adults

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy. Age less than 20 years old or older than 80 years old

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Case-Control
• Time Perspectives: Prospective

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Acromegaly patients
Healthy subjects; Healthy volunteers

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Anthropometry	Features of the body including face, hands and feet	1 year from the first time of 3D stereophotography

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Taiwan University Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Shyang-Rong Shih, PhD, National Taiwan University Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): June 1, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): June 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 1, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 1, 2017
• First Posted (Estimate): February 3, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): February 7, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 5, 2017
• Last Verified: January 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Endocrine System Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Hypothalamic Diseases; Bone Diseases; Bone Diseases, Endocrine; Hyperpituitarism; Pituitary Diseases; Acromegaly
• Other Study ID Numbers: 201204079RIC

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No