EFFECTS OF SUCCESSFUL ADENOMECTOMY ON BODY-COMPOSITION IN ACROMEGALY

The purpose of the present study was to investigate postsurgical chang e in body composition in patients who have undergone surgery for acrom egaly. Eight patients with acromegaly had determination of serum GH, i nsulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), height, body weight, and bioelect ric impedance before surgery and at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after surgery. Body composition was analyzed by bioelectric imp edance analysis (BIA). We analyzed body fat (EF), body lean mass (BLM) , body cell mass (BCM), total body water (TBW), intracellular water (I CW) and extracellular water (ECW). The serum GH concentration and IGF- I had decreased significantly 2 weeks after surgery. Body weight had d ecreased significantly 1 month after surgery and recovered 3 months af ter surgery. BIA showed that TBW and BCM had decreased significantly 2 weeks after surgery. EF gradually increased up to 1 month after surge ry and was increased significantly at 3 months after surgery. The perc ent ratio of TBW/body weight decreased and the percent ratio of BF/bod y weight increased during the 6 months after surgery. The percent rati o of ECW/TBW did not change during the 6 months following surgery. In conclusion, the rapid body weight loss which occurred within 2 weeks a fter surgery was caused by decreases in TBW and BCM. The recovery of b ody weight, which was seen later than 1 month after surgery, was cause d by an increase in BF. The postoperative change in body composition i n acromegaly ceased 3 months after surgery.