Gigantism
Gigantism is a condition characterized by excessive growth in height. As a medical term, gigantism is rarely used except to refer to the rare condition of pituitary gigantism due to prepubertal growth hormone excess. There is no precise definition of the degree of height that qualifies a person to be termed a "giant." The term has been typically applied to those whose height is not just in the upper 1% of the population but several standard deviations above mean for persons of the same sex, age, and ethnic ancestry. Typical adult heights of Americans and Europeans to whom the term might be applied are 225 - 240 cm (7'6" - 8 feet). The term is rarely applied to those whose heights appear to be the healthy result of normal genetics and nutrition.
