Localized gigantism refers to focal enlargement of part of the body, and is always pathological.
In contrast, generalized gigantism refers to increase in stature and is either physiological (i.e. merely very tall) or due to growth hormone excess (e.g pituitary microadenoma).
Broadly localized gigantism can be divided into two forms 1,2:
- static: the region is overgrown but proceeds to grow in proportion to the rest of the body
- progressive: the enlarged region grows faster than the rest of the body
Pathology
Etiology
A number of conditions can result in localized gigantism, including: