Endocrine Abstracts

Aims: To know characteristics and long term evolution of patients with prolactinoma in our Neuroendocrinology Unit.

Material and methods: We studied retrospectively all patients with diagnosis of prolactinoma in our Neuroendocrinology Unit in last 12 years.

Results: We studied 126 patients. Predominant sex was female (69.07%), 56.7% were macroadenomas. The time from the onset of symptoms until they are seen by the specialist ranges 12 to 24 months. The clinical presentation and hormones values were: menstrual disorders 56.7%, galactorrea 43.3%, erectile dysfunction 18.55%, headache 41.23% and visual disorders 18.55% (In men,the most frequent symptom was headache and in women menstrual disorders). Dysfunction of other axis: decrease of LH/FSH 25.8%, GH deficiency 6.4%, TSH 8.2% and ACTH 6.4%.

93.8% were pharmacologically treated (95.6% cabergoline). Four patients needed surgery as first treatment. Only one case was familiar: a patient with giant macroadenoma that belonged to a FIPA family with a new AIP mutation non described before in literature. There was total cure(asymptomatic, normal prolactin and disappearance of tumour in RM) in 11.34% (19.5% of microadenomas and only three cases of the macroadenomas) all of them with more than 2 years of medical treatment. The size of the tumour and basal levels of prolactin were inversely related to the possibility of cure.

Conclusion: In our serie, although prolactinomas have a relatively benign course, long-term definitive cure is infrequent.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.