If a patient presents with an enlarged nose, mandible, and extremities along with dry skin and a change in voice, what is the likely diagnosis?

Study for the CDCA North East Regional Board (NERB) Exam. Prepare with flashcards and multiple choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Get ready for your test!

The symptoms described—enlargement of the nose, mandible, and extremities, along with dry skin and changes in voice—are indicative of hyperpituitarism. This condition is primarily caused by an overproduction of growth hormone, often due to a pituitary adenoma.

In hyperpituitarism, the excessive growth hormone leads to acromegaly in adults, characterized by the enlargement of bones and soft tissues in the face, hands, and feet. The pronounced facial changes, such as the enlargement of the nose and mandible, reflect the disfigurement commonly associated with this condition. Additionally, the thickening of the skin and changes in voice, often resulting from vocal cord enlargement, further aligns with the effects of excessive growth hormone.

Other conditions listed do not align with this combination of symptoms. For example, hyperparathyroidism primarily affects calcium metabolism and may lead to bone pain and renal stones but does not typically cause changes in the facial structure or voice. Hyperthyroidism leads to a different set of signs like weight loss, heat intolerance, and sometimes goiter, but does not cause the characteristic enlargement seen with hyperpituitarism. Osteitis deformans, or Paget's disease, primarily affects bone remodeling and might

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