Hypertrophic

Hypertrophic is a medical term used to describe enlargement of a tissue or organ due to an increase in the size of its constituent cells, rather than an increase in cell number. This cellular enlargement, or hypertrophy, can be physiological (a reversible adaptation to increased workload) or pathological (resulting from disease or hormonal imbalance). Hypertrophy is contrasted with hyperplasia, which is an increase in cell number, and with atrophy, a decrease in tissue size.

Mechanisms often involve increased synthesis of structural proteins and organelles, leading to greater cell mass. Signaling pathways such as the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) can be involved. Hypertrophy can occur in muscle, heart, liver, kidneys, and other tissues. It may be reversible if the stimulus is removed; prolonged or excessive hypertrophy can lead to dysfunction.

Clinical contexts include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a genetic disorder characterized by thickened ventricular walls that can obstruct blood flow and cause arrhythmias; left ventricular hypertrophy due to chronic hypertension or valvular disease; skeletal muscle hypertrophy from resistance training or anabolic states; hypertrophic scars (keloids) from excessive collagen deposition during wound healing; and systemic overgrowth such as in acromegaly, where excess growth hormone causes soft tissue and bone enlargement.

Diagnosis relies on history, examination, and imaging or laboratory studies as appropriate (for example, echocardiography or MRI for cardiac hypertrophy; histology or hormonal assays as indicated). Treatment targets the underlying cause and may include blood pressure control, disease-specific medical therapy, surgical or endoscopic interventions to relieve obstruction, or cosmetic/therapeutic management of scars. The term emphasizes cellular size increase rather than cell number.