Prolactinoma

Prolactinomas are the most common hormone-secreting pituitary tumors. It is a noncancerous (benign) pituitary tumor that produces a hormone called prolactin. This results in too much prolactin in the blood. These occur most commonly in people under age 40. They are about five times more common in women than in men, but are rare in children. Larger tumors are more common in men. They tend to occur at an older age. The tumor can grow to a large size before symptoms appear.

Treatment: A prolactinoma requires treatment only if it is causing symptoms related to high levels of prolactin in the blood level or because of its size. The aim of any treatment is to normalise blood prolactin levels and reduce the size of large tumours.

Medications used: Dopamine is the most commonly used medicament because dopamine is the chemical in the brain that normally inhibits prolactin secretion. Medications should be taken according to doctor prescription.