Prolactinoma overview
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Prolactinoma Microchapters |
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Prolactinoma overview On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Prolactinoma overview |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
A prolactinoma is a benign tumor (adenoma) of the pituitary gland that produces a hormone called prolactin. It is the most common type of pituitary tumor. Symptoms of prolactinoma are caused by too much prolactin in the blood (hyperprolactinemia) or by pressure of the tumor on surrounding tissues.
Prolactin stimulates the breast to produce milk during pregnancy. After delivery of the baby, a mother's prolactin levels fall unless she breast feeds her infant. Each time the baby nurses, prolactin levels rise to maintain milk production.
Historical Perspective
Classification
Based on size, a prolactinoma can be classified as a microprolactinoma (<10 mm diameter) or macroprolactinoma (>10 mm diameter).
Pathophysiology
Prolactinoma and Pregnancy
Causes
Epidemiology and Demographics
Autopsy studies indicate that 6-25% of the U. S. population have small pituitary tumors. Forty percent of these pituitary tumors produce prolactin, but most are not considered clinically significant. Clinically significant pituitary tumors affect the health of approximately 14 out of 100,000 people in United States.