Prevalence of hyperprolactinemia in anovulatory women.
To determine the prevalence of hyperprolactinemia in an ovulatory patients presenting to a general gynecology clinic, a 1-year prospective study (1978) was instituted. A total of 119 patients with at least 3 months of anovulation were screened with serum prolactin determinations. Those patients demonstrating hyperprolactinemia were further evaluated with a serum TSH level and hypocycloidal polytomography of the pituitary sella. In patients with anovulation with or without galactorrhea, a hyperprolactinemia prevalence rate of 15% was established. Anovulatory patients with galactorrhea had a hyperprolactinemia prevalence rate of 43%. This was compared to the 9% prevalence of hyperprolactinemia in patients with nongalactorrheic anovulation (P less than .001). Twenty-two percent of the patients with nongalactorrheic anovulation (2 of 9) were found to have a prolactin-secreting pituitary adenoma. In patients with hyperprolactinemia, galactorrhea, and anovulation, 67% (6 of 9) of patients had a prolactin-secreting pituitary adenoma. The authors therefore conclude that the 15% prevalence rate of hyperprolactinemia in all anovulatory women is sufficiently high to warrant continued screening of serum prolactin determinations in all anovulatory women.
D000236:Adenoma / Q000097:blood; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000858:Anovulation / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005687:Galactorrhea / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors
D011388:Prolactin; D013972:Thyrotropin