Scientists in Belfast want to establish if the genetic blip that saw an 18th Century Irishman sprout to more than seven-and-a-half feet is widespread in the area he was from.

A geneticist at Queen's University has appealed for people whose families originate from the east Tyrone and south County Londonderry areas to take part in screening for gigantism.

Professor Patrick Morrison said they would test DNA for an altered gene that can cause the body to produce too much growth hormone.

He said that most of the people who have the condition do not know they have it and suffer no ill effects.

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by Robert Knutzen, MBA, CEO Pituitary Network Assn.

As you can imagine we read a great deal of medical information here: studies, articles, conclusions, opinions, patient's perspectives, physician's perspectives, etc. What is puzzling, however, is the absence of clear definitions regarding numbers of patients, diagnosis, time of onset, seriousness of complications, etc.

We travel the world for information on treatment and options and perspectives. Sadly; while there is so much progress and sharing of good information on some fronts, it is woefully inadequate and antiquated in others. Clearly there is not one view of acromegalics; we are perceived, not as we really are, but by some as something vaguely remembered from medical school or an old medical article that no one has bothered to update or change in many years.