BACKGROUND Endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis are well-known complications of acromegaly. However, current data on microvascular circulation are limited. AIMS We aimed to evaluate microvascular circulation in patients with acromegaly. METHODS This comparative study included a total of 21 patients with acromegaly and 20 age and sex-matched healthy subjects. A stereomicroscope under 100x magnification was used by a single rheumatologist to evaluate the capillary dimensions (capillary loop length, capillary width) and capillary/mm count in the capillaries of subjects. Statistical data analysis was conducted using the SPSS 15.0 package program. RESULTS The mean number of capillaries per ml (Normal ≥8 / ml) in the acromegaly group (AG) and healthy controls (HC) was 7.67 ± 1.88 and 8.67 ± 0.65, respectively (p = 0.04). In the AG and the HC, the number of tortuous capillaries, the mean capillary loop length and the mean capillary width were not different. While the median number of capillaries in the AG was lower than in the HC, it was still within normal limits. CONCLUSION Although the number of capillaries were statistically lower in patients with acromegaly, they were within a normal range and the difference was not clinically significant. Moreover, there was no difference in morphological characteristics between the groups. While endothelial dysfunction is the earliest known marker of the atherosclerotic process and is considered to be one of the complications of acromegaly, the disease may not result in impairment of microvasculature of those people afflicted by it. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
