VietNamNet Bridge – Because of a pituitary tumor, a man named Duy, in the southern province of Dong Nai, is now 2.03m tall. He is waiting for a surgery at HCM City’s Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital, to stop growing in height.



Duy said that at primary school, he developed normally like other boys of his age. The boy began growing strangly when he was a 7th grader. “Since then I have faced a lot of difficulties,” said Duy.

Duy said he did not demand more food but his height increased year one year. The boy was 1.5m tall when he was a 7th grader. Three years later, the height was 1.8m and it has been growing since then.

“Initially, I felt a complex about my height. During school meetings, I was nearly two heads higher than my classmates,” Duy said.

Duy was named “Peter Crouch” – the name of England’s tallest football player who is 2.01m - at school.

Duy said all members in his family are tall. His father stands at 1.7m, his elder brother is 1.8m, his mother and his sister is 1.6m.

Because of his strange height, his belongings are designed specifically. “From doors at my house to furniture must be designed to fit me. My clothes are the biggest sizes for foreigners or are custom-made products,” Duy added.

Graduating from high-school, Duy could not continue studies because he felt tired and had headache very often. “I’m tall but not strong. I’m tired after running only 50 meters,” said Duy.

Duy said he did not want to see doctors because he was afraid of being treated as a specimen. “My parents tried at their best to persuade me to go to hospital,” he said.

Dr. Tran Quang Khanh, head of the the Endocrinology Unit of Nguyen Tri Phuong Hospital said that according to tests, Duy has a pituitary tumor, resulting in his strange height and some accompanies symptoms.



In addition to the abnormally gigantic height, his jaw bone is also damaged as a result of the rare condition. Doctors said that those with pituitary tumor often develop complications like diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis, among others. For the disease, surgery is the treatment of choice.

Duy said that his only dream is being shortened. “The operation will not help me to be shorter but I hope that I will not grow further in height. I also wish to have better health to find a job,” he said.

The one who holds Vietnamese record for height is Mr. Tran Quang Pho in the northern province of Bac Giang, who is 2.28m, 114kg. This is also a patient of gigantism.

In the world, the tallest is Mr. Kosen, a Turkish – 2.47m, followed by Mr. Bao Xishun, from China – 2.37m.

Le Ha