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The New England Journal of Medicine Apr 2010
Review
Topics: Adult; Bromocriptine; Cabergoline; Dopamine Agonists; Ergolines; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Pituitary Neoplasms; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic; Prolactin; Prolactinoma; Visual Fields
PubMed: 20357284
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMcp0912025 -
Minerva Endocrinologica Dec 2013Prolactinomas constitute approximately 40% of hormone-secreting pituitary tumors. In women the main clinical features are menstrual disorders and infertility. Successful... (Review)
Review
Prolactinomas constitute approximately 40% of hormone-secreting pituitary tumors. In women the main clinical features are menstrual disorders and infertility. Successful treatment with dopamine agonists restores the normal function of the pituitary-gonadal axis, ovulation, and fertility. Adequate management of pregnant prolactinoma patients from the moment of conception is of particular importance for both the mother and the developing fetus. This review article presents current opinions on the course and management of pregnancies in patients with prolactin-secreting pituitary tumors. The introduction contains background information on clinical aspects of the condition, including prolactinoma treatment in women of reproductive age. Physiological changes in the pituitary during normal pregnancy are also described. The next part presents current knowledge on the effect of pregnancy on prolactinoma size, including especially the high risk of prolactinoma growth in patients with pituitary macroadenomas. Safety issues concerning the use of dopamine receptor agonists during pregnancy are also discussed, especially in terms of the risk of congenital defects in the fetus. Moreover, the article presents principles of prolactinoma management in pregnant patients, rare indications for surgical treatment during pregnancy, and the issues concerning pituitary tumor apoplexy in pregnant women, the last being a life-threatening condition. The final part of the article discusses the possible effects of pregnancy on hyperprolactinemia remission as well as on the issue of breastfeeding by mothers with prolactinoma.
Topics: Dopamine Agonists; Female; Humans; Hyperprolactinemia; Pituitary Neoplasms; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic; Pregnancy Outcome; Prolactin; Prolactinoma; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 24285103
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of Investigative Medicine High... 2021Dopamine agonists are generally well tolerated and represent the first-line therapy for prolactinomas. We report a case of a 20-year-old man with a macroprolactinoma who...
Dopamine agonists are generally well tolerated and represent the first-line therapy for prolactinomas. We report a case of a 20-year-old man with a macroprolactinoma who developed recurrent priapism with cabergoline and bromocriptine. Transsphenoidal pituitary adenoma resection was done with normalization of the prolactin level. Priapism is a rare side effect of dopamine agonists that warrants discontinuation of therapy. Patients should be educated about this potential side effect at the time of prescribing the medication.
Topics: Adult; Bromocriptine; Cabergoline; Ergolines; Humans; Male; Pituitary Neoplasms; Priapism; Prolactinoma; Young Adult
PubMed: 34218714
DOI: 10.1177/23247096211029750 -
Pituitary Feb 2020Treatment goals in prolactinomas are to correct hypogonadism, restore fertility and control tumor mass in case of macroadenomas. According to current guidelines, medical... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Treatment goals in prolactinomas are to correct hypogonadism, restore fertility and control tumor mass in case of macroadenomas. According to current guidelines, medical treatment of asymptomatic postmenopausal women is not indicated. The purpose of this study was to review the current literature pertaining to biological behavior of prolactinomas during menopause, likelihood of successful dopamine agonist withdrawal during this period and possible prolactin-mediated increased morbidity that could modify current management.
METHODS
A comprehensive literature search including papers published until July 2019 was conducted using PubMed and Medline databases.
RESULTS
Women with prolactinomas entering menopause have a higher chance of prolactin normalization of treatment compared with women in their reproductive years. Although most prolactin secreting adenomas diagnosed during menopause are large, they respond well to dopamine agonist treatment. Data directly linking hyperprolactinemia with an increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular and metabolic morbidity are inconsistent. There is no data indicating that correction of hyperprolactinemia improves clinical outcomes in asymptomatic patients bearing microadenomas.
CONCLUSION
There is no evidence that justifies changing current recommendations to withhold medical treatment of microprolactinomas in asymptomatic post-menopausal women. Macroprolactinoma patients should be treated according to standard clinical practice.
Topics: Dopamine Agonists; Female; Humans; Hypogonadism; Menopause; Prolactin; Prolactinoma
PubMed: 31686376
DOI: 10.1007/s11102-019-00998-0 -
Pituitary Feb 2020Renewed interest in transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) as a therapeutic option for prolactinomas has emerged. (Review)
Review
PURPOSE
Renewed interest in transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) as a therapeutic option for prolactinomas has emerged.
METHODS
Based on contemporary literature and own experience, the changing role of surgery for treatment of prolactinomas is discussed.
RESULTS
Today, TSS is performed by minimally invasive microscopic or endoscopic techniques. Normoprolactinemia is obtained in 71-100% of patients with microprolactinomas by TSS. Almost equal results are found in circumscribed intrasellar macroprolactinomas. In experienced hands, pituitary function is preserved in TSS. The risk of cardiac valve disease is still a concern with ergot-derived dopamine-agonists (DAs) in patients requiring long-term, high-dose dopamine-agonist (DA) treatment. Cost-utility analysis favors TSS over DA treatment. The possible negative impact of DA treatment on future surgical results is still a controversial and unsettled issue. In patients who wish to become pregnant, the advantages of microprolactinoma removal to avoid DAs and macroprolactinoma debulking to avoid symptomatic enlargement during pregnancy should be discussed with the patients. Young patients' age is an argument for surgery to circumvent the unpredictable sequelae of long-term DA treatment. Surgery should be discussed in male gender because of a higher likelihood of DA resistance and aggressive behavior of prolactinoma.
CONCLUSION
Given excellent results of TSS and concerns about medical treatment, the scale of indications for TSS as an alternative to DAs has increased. The patient's wishes concerning a chance at a cure with TSS instead of a long-term treatment with DAs has become an important and accepted indication. With DA medication and TSS, two effective treatment modalities for prolactinomas are available that can be used in a complementary fashion.
Topics: Dopamine Agonists; Female; Humans; Male; Prolactinoma; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 31853793
DOI: 10.1007/s11102-019-01016-z -
Innere Medizin (Heidelberg, Germany) Jul 2024The widespread use of diagnostic imaging has led to an increase in the incidence of pituitary tumors. The majority of incidentalomas are hormone-inactive (HI) pituitary... (Review)
Review
The widespread use of diagnostic imaging has led to an increase in the incidence of pituitary tumors. The majority of incidentalomas are hormone-inactive (HI) pituitary microadenomas. The most common clinically relevant pituitary adenomas are prolactin-secreting, followed by HI, and far less common are growth hormone (GH)-, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)- and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)-secreting adenomas. Pituitary adenomas are usually benign, although aggressive growth and invasion occurs in individual cases. Very rarely, they give rise to metastases and are then termed pituitary carcinomas. All pituitary tumors require endocrine testing for pituitary hormone excess. In addition to the medical history and clinical examination, laboratory diagnostics are very important. Symptoms such as irregular menstruation, loss of libido or galactorrhea often lead to the timely diagnosis of prolactinomas, and hyperprolactinemia can easily confirm the diagnosis (considering the differential diagnoses). Diagnosis is more difficult for all other hormone-secreting pituitary adenomas (acromegaly, Cushing's disease, TSHoma), as the symptoms are often non-specific (i.e., headaches, weight gain, fatigue, joint pain). Furthermore, comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and depression are such widespread diseases that pituitary adenomas are rarely considered as the underlying cause. Timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment have a significant impact on morbidity, mortality, and quality of life. Therefore, the role of primary care physicians is very important for achieving an early diagnosis. In addition, patients with pituitary adenomas should always be referred to endocrinologists to ensure optimal diagnosis as well as treatment.
Topics: Humans; Pituitary Neoplasms; Diagnosis, Differential; Adenoma; Prolactinoma
PubMed: 38869654
DOI: 10.1007/s00108-024-01729-9 -
Tumour Biology : the Journal of the... 2022Prolactinomas are the most frequent pituitary tumor subtype. Despite most of them respond to medical treatment, a proportion are resistant and become a challenge in...
INTRODUCTION
Prolactinomas are the most frequent pituitary tumor subtype. Despite most of them respond to medical treatment, a proportion are resistant and become a challenge in clinical management. Wnt/β-Catenin pathway has been implicated in several cancers including pituitary tumors and other sellar region malignancies. Interestingly, Wnt/β-Catenin inhibition augments the cytotoxicity of the chemotherapeutic agent Temozolomide (TMZ) in different cancers. TMZ is now being implemented as rescue therapy for aggressive pituitary adenoma treatment. However, the molecular mechanisms associated with TMZ action in pituitary tumors remain unclear.
OBJECTIVES
Our aims in the present study were to evaluate differential β-Catenin expression in human resistant prolactinomas and Wnt/β-Catenin signaling activation and involvement in Prolactin (PRL) secreting experimental models treated with TMZ.
RESULTS
We first evaluated by immunohistochemistry β-Catenin localization in human resistant prolactinomas in which we demonstrated reduced membrane β-Catenin in prolactinoma cells compared to normal pituitaries, independently of the Ki-67 proliferation indexes. In turn, in vivo 15 mg/kg of orally administered TMZ markedly reduced PRL production and increased prolactinoma cell apoptosis in mice bearing xenografted prolactinomas. Intratumoral β-Catenin strongly correlated with Prl and Cyclin D1, and importantly, TMZ downregulated both β-Catenin and Cyclin D1, supporting their significance in prolactinoma growth and as candidates of therapeutic targets. When tested in vitro, TMZ directly reduced MMQ cell viability, increased apoptosis and produced G2/M cell cycle arrest. Remarkably, β-Catenin activation and VEGF secretion were inhibited by TMZ in vitro.
CONCLUSIONS
We concluded that dopamine resistant prolactinomas undergo a β-Catenin relocalization in relation to normal pituitaries and that TMZ restrains experimental prolactinoma tumorigenicity by reducing PRL production and β-Catenin activation. Together, our findings contribute to the understanding of Wnt/β-Catenin implication in prolactinoma maintenance and TMZ therapy, opening the opportunity of new treatment strategies for aggressive and resistant pituitary tumors.
Topics: Animals; Cyclin D1; Humans; Mice; Models, Theoretical; Pituitary Neoplasms; Prolactin; Prolactinoma; Temozolomide; beta Catenin
PubMed: 35811548
DOI: 10.3233/TUB-211500 -
Andrology Oct 2023Men harboring prolactinomas frequently suffer from central hypogonadism with secondary anemia. They present insidious and nonspecific symptoms of hypogonadism, making it...
BACKGROUND
Men harboring prolactinomas frequently suffer from central hypogonadism with secondary anemia. They present insidious and nonspecific symptoms of hypogonadism, making it difficult to diagnose the disease and determine its duration. The result is a delay in diagnosis, which may have harmful hormonal and metabolic consequences. We hypothesized that a decrease in hemoglobin (HB) levels prior to prolactinoma diagnosis, may signal hyperprolactinemia onset and estimate disease duration.
METHODS
We retrospectively evaluated the prediagnosis temporal trends in HB levels of 70 males with prolactinoma, diagnosed from January 2010 to July 2022. Men without hypogonadism, patients that received testosterone, and those with unrelated anemia were excluded.
RESULTS
Sixty-one of seventy men (87%) with prolactinoma presented with hypogonadism, and forty men (57%) had HB levels ≤13.5 g/dL at diagnosis. We identified 25 patients with "informative" HB curves (mean age, 46.1±14.9 years; median prolactin, 952 ng/mL; median follow-up, 14.0 years), demonstrating an obvious prediagnosis HB decrease (greater than 1.0 g/dL), from a prediagnosis baseline HB of 14.4 ± 0.3 to 12.9 ± 0.5 g/dL at diagnosis. The median "low-HB duration" (from the first low HB measurement to hyperprolactinemia diagnosis) was 6.1 years (IQR, 3.3-8.8 years). In symptomatic patients, we identified a correlation between "low-HB duration" and patient-reported sexual dysfunction duration (n = 17, R = 0.502, p = 0.04). The "low-HB duration" was significantly longer than the reported sexual dysfunction duration (7.0 ± 4.5 vs. 2.9 ± 2.5 years, p = 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS
In our cohort of men with prolactinomas and hypogonadism, we found a marked decrease in HB levels that preceded prolactinoma diagnosis by a median of 6.1 years, with a mean delay of 4.1 years between HB decrease and hypogonadal symptoms appearance. These results suggest that HB decline prior to prolactinoma diagnosis may serve as a marker for hyperprolactinemia onset in a subset of hypogonadal men and allow a more accurate assessment of disease duration.
Topics: Male; Humans; Adult; Middle Aged; Prolactinoma; Hyperprolactinemia; Pituitary Neoplasms; Retrospective Studies; Hypogonadism; Prolactin; Hemoglobins; Anemia
PubMed: 36897756
DOI: 10.1111/andr.13428 -
Mayo Clinic Proceedings May 1999Prolactinomas are the most common secretory adenomas of pituitary origin. They typically manifest with symptoms referable to their endocrinologic effects or, if of...
Prolactinomas are the most common secretory adenomas of pituitary origin. They typically manifest with symptoms referable to their endocrinologic effects or, if of sufficient size, to visual changes due to compression of the optic chiasm. Pituitary adenomas manifesting with hydrocephalus are rare. To our knowledge, only three such cases have previously been reported. We describe an 81-year-old woman with a pituitary adenoma that manifested with hydrocephalus. In addition, we review the literature and discuss therapeutic options.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Hydrocephalus; Pituitary Neoplasms; Prolactinoma
PubMed: 10319078
DOI: 10.4065/74.5.475 -
Neuroendocrinology 2019The discovery of dopamine inhibitory effects on prolactin secretion has led to an era of successful dopaminergic therapy for prolactinomas. Herein we provide an overview... (Review)
Review
The discovery of dopamine inhibitory effects on prolactin secretion has led to an era of successful dopaminergic therapy for prolactinomas. Herein we provide an overview of the evolution of dopamine agonists and their use in patients with PRL-secreting pituitary tumors, starting from the 1970s up to today, highlighting that normalization of PRL levels, restoration of eugonadism, and reduction of tumor mass can be achieved in the majority of patients by treatment with dopamine agonists.
Topics: Dopamine Agonists; Humans; Pituitary Neoplasms; Prolactinoma
PubMed: 30852578
DOI: 10.1159/000499470