Prolactinoma natural history, complications, and prognosis

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Faizan Sheraz, M.D. [2]

Overview

In 95% of cases, prolactinoma will not show any signs of growth after a 4 to 6 year period. Prognosis is excellent for microprolactinoma. Macroprolactinomas often require more aggressive treatment otherwise they may continue to grow. Complications of prolactinoma include intracranial hemorrhage, osteoporosis and vision loss.

Natural History and Prognosis

In 95% of cases the prolactinoma will not show any signs of growth after a 4 to 6 year period. Prognosis is excellent for microprolactinoma. Macroprolactinomas often require more aggressive treatment otherwise they may continue to grow. There is no way to reliably predict the rate of growth, as it is different for every individual.

Complications

Complications of prolactinoma include:

• Bleeding(Intracranial)
• Tumor regrowth(After resection)
• Blindness
• Pregnancy complications:
  • Excessive estrogen may cause increased tumor growth
• Osteoporosis