Acromegaly. Early photograph of the face of a man suffering from acromegaly. This is a disorder in which there is uncontrolled growth, leading to changed features and enlargement of the hands and feet. Here, the man's jaw is jutting out, and his face has lengthened. Acromegaly is caused by excessive production of the growth hormone somatotrophin. This is usually due to a benign tumour of the anterior pituitary gland (which normally produces the hormone) beneath the brain. The condition can be controlled today with drugs, or the tumour can be surgically removed or treated by radiotherapy.