Recent evidence suggests that early treatment (before age 18 years) in patients with elevated growth hormone levels using pharmacologic intervention, surgery, and/or radiotherapy is associated with less optic neuropathy compared with patients who are treated later.  The impact on hearing impairment is less certain and awaits further studies.

Not all patients have significant optic nerve compression. Decompression of the optic nerve canal is beneficial in about half of cases in which significant nerve encasement is present but should be performed only when progressive optic neuropathy occurs, especially when growth hormone levels are elevated.