Prolactinomas are benign tumors of the pituitary gland that cause hyperprolactinemia. The symptoms are variable in men and women. Treatment includes medical and surgical approaches. Prolactinomas are secretory adenomas of the pituitary gland that cause primary hyperprolactinemia. They are the most common hormone secreting tumors of the pituitary. Epidemiologically they are more frequent in women of age between 20 and 50 years.
Small tumors (<1 cm) are more common in women and larger tumors in men. They are also associated with syndromes like multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 and McCune Albright syndrome. Pathophysiology Depending on the size of the tumour they are classified as microadenomas (<10mm) and macroadenomas (>10mm). Lactotrophs comprise 20 -50% of the cells of anterior pituitary. Spontaneous mutations lead to cell transformation and monoclonal hyperplasia. Genetic…
