OBJECTIVES: Acromegaly is a rare disease caused by growth hormone (GH) hypersecretion from pituitary adenoma. Peripheral action of GH is mediated by insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and results in acral overgrowth and metabolic complications. Acromegaly and its treatment is associated with high direct and indirect costs, caused by the necessity of life-long treatment of hormonal normalisation and systemic disturbances management. The aim of our study was to assess the costs of medical care of patients with acromegaly in real life setting in one academic centre in Wroclaw.

METHODS: Data was collected from medical charts of patients diagnosed, treated and followed-up in Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Isotope Therapy in years 2011-2016.

RESULTS: The retrospective analysis was performed on 20 consecutive patients (12 males, 8 females), aged 53.4 ± 8.4 years, with mean disease duration of 11.1 ± 7.8 years. In this group 6 patients were successfully operated, other 14 are still on long-term somatostatin receptor ligands (SRL) therapy. In the analysis, the costs of surgeries (pituitary adenoma neurosurgery, cholecystectomy, thyroidectomy), medical therapy (SRL, dopamine agonists, replacement therapy, complications’ therapy) and radiotherapy were calculated. Costs of therapy using long-term SRL amount to circa 15.844 Euro annually, what constitutes 72% of all costs. Second largest expense group consists of costs of neurosurgeries which are valued at 3.807 Euro, what is 17% of total annual costs. Next significant expense group are costs of hospitalisation which add up to 1001 Euro constituting 5% of total annual costs. Other costs had a marginal share in the total expenditure therefore being insignificant.

CONCLUSIONS: life-long acromegaly management is highly expensive. The major costs represent SRL therapy. Early diagnosis at the initial stage of the disease increases opportunity of successful surgery and reduce the costs of medical therapy.