The possibilities and impossibilities of treating acromegaly 50 years ago illustrated by Diane Arbus, A Jewish Giant at Home with his Parents, 1970.

Acromegaly is a very old disease. Therapy for acromegaly has evolved over the decades. In art museums one can come across artistic impressions of endocrine disorders. People suffering from disfiguring endocrine disorders like acromegaly were pre-WW2 'exposed' in theaters and circuses. High dose pituitary radiotherapy can be associated with secondary brain tumor formation.