basics of prolactinoma

1. INTRODUCTION
Prolactinoma is a condition in which a noncancerous tumor (adenoma) of
the pituitary gland in your brain over produces the hormone prolactin.
Prolactin stimulates the breast to produce milk, and has many other
functions such as regulation of mood.

2. SYMPTOMS
.In females, prolactinoma can cause:
Irregular menstrual periods (oligomenorrhea) or no menstrual
periods (amenorrhea)
Milky discharge from the breasts (galactorrhea) when not
pregnant or breastfeeding
Painful intercourse due to vaginal dryness
Acne and excessive body and facial hair growth (hirsutism)

3. SYMPTOMS
•In males, prolactinoma can cause:
Erectile dysfunction
Decreased body and facial hair
Uncommonly, enlarged breasts (gynecomastia)

4. SYMPTOMS
•In both sexes, prolactinoma can cause:
Low bone density
Reduction of other hormone production by the pituitary gland
(hypopituitarism) as a result of tumor pressure
Loss of interest in sexual activity
Headaches
Visual disturbances
Infertility

5. CAUSES
•The cause of pituitary tumors remains largely
unknown. Most pituitary tumors are sporadic,
meaning they are not genetically passed from parents
to their children.
•Other causes of increased prolactin are:-
• It has been shown that stress can't significantly raise
prolactin levels
•other pituitary tumours and normal pregnancy and
breastfeeding. This is discussed more under
hyperprolactinemia.
•Hypothyroidism. Increased prolactin levels are often
seen in people with hypothyroidism,

6. •Complications of prolactinoma may include:
Vision loss. Left untreated, a prolactinoma may
grow large enough to compress your optic nerve.
•Hypopituitarism. With larger prolactinomas,
pressure on the normal pituitary gland can cause
dysfunction of other hormones
•Bone loss (osteoporosis). Too much prolactin can
reduce production of the hormones estrogen and
testosterone, resulting in decreased bone density
and an increased risk of osteoporosis.
COMPLICATIONS

7. DIAGNOSIS
•Blood tests. Blood tests can detect the
overproduction of prolactin and whether levels of
other hormones controlled by the pituitary are
within the normal range.
•Brain imaging. Your doctor may be able to detect a
pituitary tumor on an image generated by a
magnetic resonance imaging scan of your brain.
•Vision tests. These can determine if a pituitary
tumor has impaired your sight.

8. TREATMENT
•Medications:-
Oral medications often can decrease the production
of prolactin and eliminate symptoms. Medications
may also shrink the tumor. However, long-term
treatment with medications is generally necessary.
•Surgery:-
•If drug therapy for prolactinoma doesn't work or you
can't tolerate the medication, surgery to remove the
tumor may be an option.
•Radiation:-
For people who don't respond to medication and
aren't candidates for surgery, radiation therapy may
be an option.