Is Gigantism more associated with children?

• A. Gigantism
• B. Acromegaly
• C. Cushing's disease
• D. Addison's disease

Answer: (A)

Gigantism occurs when growth hormone is released in excess while the growth plates are still open in children. That ongoing GH stimulus drives excess lengthwise bone growth, resulting in unusually tall stature. Once the growth plates fuse after puberty, bones can’t lengthen, so the same hormone excess leads to acromegaly rather than increased height, with enlarged hands, feet, and facial features. So gigantism is the form associated with children because it requires open growth plates to produce the extra height. The other conditions involve different endocrine issues (Cushing’s disease with cortisol excess and Addison’s disease with adrenal insufficiency) and don’t produce the tall stature seen in gigantism.