Prolactinoma is a benign tumor located in the pituitary gland, more specifically the pituitary gland that leads to the production of prolactin, which in turn is responsible for the production of breast milk during pregnancy. Therefore the characteristic of prolactinoma is to lead to the production of breast milk even without being pregnant, and it is important to clarify that this tumor can affect both women and men.
Symptoms of prolactinoma
There are symptoms of prolactinoma in women:
- Production of breastmilk even without being pregnant or having recently delivered;
- Irregular menstruation or absence of menstruation,
- Infertility.
There are symptoms of prolactinoma in men:
- Impotence,
- Reduction of sexual desire;
- Breast enlargement and milk production can rarely occur.
Prolactonomas are more common in women and are often small in size, but when they reach more than 1 cm in diameter, they can cause visual disturbances by compressing other regions of the brain.
Your diagnosis can be made based on the blood prolactin dosage, but it may be necessary to perform an MRI or CT scan.
Treatment for prolactinoma
Treatment for prolactinoma is usually done with the use of medications such as bromocriptine, lisuride and cabergoline until the tumor is reduced, but there are cases where the neurologist may choose to withdraw the tumor through a minor surgery performed through the nasal cavity.
