Symptoms and Effects of A Prolactinoma on the Body
• Vision loss
• Hypopituitarism
• Osteoporosis
• Pregnancy Complications
(Mayo Clinic)
Photo: UCLA Health
• A Prolactinoma is more easily detected in Premenopausal women.
Symptoms include:
• Irregular or lack of menstrual cycles
• Milk production by the breasts known as Galactorrhea
• Reduced sex drive
• Prolactinomas in men and Postmenopausal women is not as easily detected
due to the fact that neither have menstrual cycles, so symptoms may go
unnoticed for a long period of time.
• Symptoms in men include:
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Decreased testosterone levels, leading to low sex drive
Rarely, enlargement of the breast tissue known as Gynecomastia
Production of breast milk
Prolactinomas in men are usually very large and may invade structures next to the
normal pituitary gland
(UCLA Health)
• There is a also a reduction of sex hormones:
• Luteinizing Hormone (LH)
• Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
• This can be caused by compression of the pituitary gland by the prolactinoma, but also due to inhibition of the
release of these hormones when prolactin levels are elevated.
• In some cases, there can be loss of body and facial hair.
• In women, this can lead to infertility.
• More severe hypopituitarism can lead to hypothyroidism or abnormally low cortisol levels, causing:
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Appetite loss
Weight loss or gain
Fatigue
Decreased mental function
Dizziness
Joint pain
This can be life threatening
• Rarely, Pituitary Apoplexy may occur.
(UCLA Health)
Photo: UCLA Neurosurgery
Works Cited
Mayo Clinic Staff. Disease and Conditions: Prolactinoma. Mayo Clinic. Web. 1 July 2014.
University of California, Los Angeles. Prolactinomas: Expert Care in Southern California. UCLA Pituitary Tumor
Program. Web. 1 July 2014.