The world’s tallest man appears to have stopped growing following treatment at the University of Virginia Medical Center, earning the medical center a mention in the 2012 Guinness World Records.
In May 2010, 8-foot-3-inch Sultan Kosen of Turkey made his first visit to UVa. for treatment by endocrinologist Dr. Mary Lee Vance. Kosen suffers from acromegaly, which is usually caused by a tumor in the pituitary gland. The tumor causes a large amount of growth hormone to be produced, which can lead to gigantism if the excess growth hormone is produced before puberty begins.
Dr. Vance placed Kosen on a new medication that could potentially help control the production of growth hormone and stop his continued growth. Because Kosen’s pituitary tumor had spread to areas of his brain where doctors could not safely perform open surgery, UVa. neurosurgeon Dr. Jason Sheehan, then performed Gamma Knife radiosurgery in August 2010.
