Prolactinoma epidemiology and demographics
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
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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.
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. United States In nonselected surgical series, this tumor accounts for approximately 25-30% of all pituitary adenomas. Some growth hormone (GH)–producing tumors also co-secrete PRL. Microprolactinomas are much more common than macroprolactinomas