Cardiovascular pathology in acromegaly and some effects of the 90 yttrium implant in the hypophysis.

: Examination of the cardiovascular apparatus (cv) of 25 acromegalic patients revealed an increased incidence of cardiovascular pathology as against normal individuals. Acromegalic patients with arterial hypertension (AH) show a twice higher incidence of ischemic cardiopathy, cardiomegaly with obvious or latent cardiac failure, arrhythmias, which frequently lead to death. The uncertain pathogeny of cardiomyopathy implied: hypoxia due to heart hypertrophy (over 500 g and increased cross-section of the fibre to over 26/mu), adrenergic deficiency resulting from increased protein synthesis and decrease in thyrosine, a precursor of myocardic cathecolamines. The increased incidence of coronary pathology is favoured in acromegalic patients by diabetes, hyperlipoproteinemia, low endogenous heparin, increased ureic acid and platelet adhesivity. Hypophysectomy by hypophysolysis (20 cases) brings relief and cures cardiovascular pathology, reduces AH, corrects the coronary risk factors, cures hypophyseal diabetes. The existence of AH and cardiovascular pathology is an indication for surgical treatment in evolutive acromegaly.