Acromegaly - severe enlargement or thickening of the bones and soft tissue caused by excessive secretion of growth hormone from the pituitary gland. Patients with this disease often develop disproportionately large jaw bones, hands, and feet. Enlargement of internal organs and disruption of bodily functions can occur as well, leading to diabetes and other illnesses. Cushing’s syndrome – enlargement of the face and body that occurs when a patient’s adrenal gland produces too much of the hormone cortisol over a long period of time. Diabetes – chronic condition where an individual has an overabundance of glucose in the blood. In Type 1 diabetes, also called insulin-dependent diabetes, or juvenile diabetes, the patient does not produce insulin at all. Type II diabetes, or non-insulin dependent adult onset diabetes, occurs when a patient produces some insulin, but not enough to process glucose properly, or more commonly, the insulin does not work effectively to process glucose. Goiter – visible enlargement of the thyroid gland. Goiters can be seen in hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and even normal thyroid function. Goiter can be caused by a lack of iodine in a patient’s diet, in very rare cases. Hirsutism – a condition in women whereby increased production of male hormones causes overabundance of hair growth on the body and face. Insulin – hormone created in the pancreas that assists the body in utilizing glucose, a type of sugar that is used as a source for energy. Osteoporosis – usually seen after menopause due to estrogen deficiencies. Loss of bone mass can be exacerbated by deficient intake of calcium, lack of exercise or other factors. Because of the brittleness of their bones, patients with osteoporosis have a greatly increased chance of suffering fractures of the spine, hip, and wrist. Pituitary gland – oval gland at the base of the brain that produces growth hormones, and is responsible for stimulating the thyroid, adrenal, and reproductive glands to function. Thyroid – a gland located in the neck that produces several hormones that controls metabolism and growth. Approximately five percent of the general population have some sort of thyroid disease. Diseases of the thyroid include hypothyroidism, where the thyroid produces too little thyroid hormone, and hyperthyroidism, where too much hormone is produced. Adjacent to the thyroid gland are four smaller parathyroid glands, that regulate the amount of calcium in the blood.