Acromegaly is a rare condition caused, in almost all cases, by the prolonged, excess release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland.This excess release of growth hormone promotes the growth of bone and soft tissues, as well as metabolic changes that can result in symptoms such as diabetes.

The information in this section is part of a comprehensive information pack for patients, click here to find out more.

Neuroendocrine Tumours (NETs) are relatively rare, usually slow-growing tumours. In some cases, NETs are non-cancerous (benign), while in others, they are cancerous (malignant). Most NETs usually first occur in the digestive system, which is made up of the stomach and intestines, but they can arise in other parts of the body such as the lungs and pancreas and can also spread to places like the liver.

The information in this section is part of a comprehensive information pack for patients, click here to find out more.

Dystonia is the term used to describe involuntary sustained muscle contractions that lead to abnormal movements and postures. Dystonia can affect just one part of the body or several different areas.

Dystonia is a neurological disorder that affects movement, but does not lead to problems with other functions of the brain such as intellect, vision and hearing, sensation and sexual function.

Blepharospasm is a focal dystonia of the muscles around the eyes and typically affects people aged between 50 and 70. It can cause uncontrollable blinking and closure of the eyelids. In extreme cases, someone with blepharospasm may be unable to prevent their eyes from clamping shut, so that, at times, they are effectively 'blind'.

Cervical dystonia, sometimes known as spasmodic torticollis, is a focal dystonia of the neck and typically occurs in people over the age of 40. By causing neck muscles to contract involuntarily, it produces abnormal movements and postures of the neck and head.

The movements can lead to the head and neck twisting (torticollis) or being pulled forwards (antecollis), backwards (retrocollis), or sideways (laterocollis). Symptoms may vary from mild to severe and the muscular spasms may result in pain and discomfort. Sometimes, the condition may be partially relieved by touching the chin, other parts of the face, or the back of the head.

Hemifacial spasm is a movement disorder which causes the muscles on one side of the face to contract.

In its mildest form, hemifacial spasm may cause no more than a slight inconvenience, although it may still be disfiguring and socially embarrassing. In more severe cases, it may interfere with vision. However, since the other eye is usually unaffected, it rarely causes loss of sight.

Endometriosis is a chronic, and often debilitating, gynaecological condition affecting nearly 2 million women in the UK. It can develop at any age - from the onset of menstruation to the menopause.

Its exact cause is unknown, but cells like those lining the womb spread, mainly inside the pelvic cavity. These cells respond to monthly hormonal changes and bleed in the same way as the lining of the uterus. This internal bleeding, unlike uterine bleeding, has no way of leaving the body and this can create painful inflammation, adhesions and cysts, or may affect fertility. There may be a genetic predisposition.