Prolactinoma - A Conclusive Guide

Prolactinoma is a benign tumour (adenoma) that is: a non- cancerous tumour of the pituitary gland which results in, excessive production of a hormone called Prolactin. The major effect of prolactinoma is decreased levels of some sex hormones - oestrogen in women and testosterone in men. It is the most common type of functioning pituitary tumourin the general population, making up about 40 percent of all pituitary tumours. Although prolactinoma is not life-threatening, it can cause vision difficulties, infertility, and other problems (further elaborated). Prolactinomas come in various sizes, but the vast majority is less than 10mm (3/8 inch) in diameter. These are called microprolactinomas. The rarer, large tumours greater than 10 mm in size are called macroprolactinomas. Prolactinomas can occur in both men and women. The symptoms produced by a prolactinoma depend on the sex of the patient and the size of the tumour. The majority of prolactinomas are less than 1 cm in size. The increase in number of prolactin-producing cells leads to excess production of the hormone prolactin.