Fairbank’s disease and acromegaly cases in India

What is the news?

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare has informed the Rajya Sabha that Fairbanks Disease and Acromegaly Disorder’s patients are getting treatment at various tertiary health facilities like Medical Colleges, Central Institutes like AIIMS at free or subsidized rates.

What is Fairbank Disease?

Fairbanks disease or multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (MED) is a rare genetic disorder (dominant form–1 in 10,000 births) which affects the growing ends of bones.

Bones usually elongate by a process that involves the depositing of cartilage at the ends of the bones called ossification.This cartilage then mineralizes and hardens to become bone. In MED, this process is defective.

The majority of MED individuals are diagnosed during childhood; however, some mild cases may not be diagnosed until adulthood.

Fairbank’s disease patients usually require management of pain and orthopedic procedures, for which facilities are available at tertiary care institutions in India.

What is Acromegaly Disorder?

Acromegaly is a hormonal disorder that develops when the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone in the body.

In childhood, this leads to increased height and is called gigantism. But in adulthood, a change in height doesn’t occur. Instead, the increase in bone size is limited to the bones of the hands, feet and face and is called acromegaly.

This disorder is not inherited from a person’s parents.

Symptoms include enlargement of the face, hands and feet. Other symptoms may include joint pain, thicker skin, deepening of the voice, headaches, and problems with vision.

Complications of the disease may include type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure.

Source: This post is based on the article “Fairbank’s disease and acromegaly cases in India?” published in PIB on 10^th Feb 2022.