Heel pad thickness is an insensitive index of biochemical remission in acromegaly

The value of serial measurements of heel pad thickness as a clinical predictor of biochemical remission in acromegaly was assessed in 25 patients followed for up to 20 years after treatment by interstitial irradiation using yttrium-90 implantation. Growth hormone (GH) levels fell to 50% of baseline values within 12 months of therapy ( P P r = 0.033, P > 0.05) suggesting that heel pad thickness is a poor predictor of biochemical remission in acromegaly.