title: Macroprolactinomas as cause of delayed puberty. A report of two cases and effects of medical therapy.
abstract: About 3-5% of pituitary tumors occur in pediatric patients, often showing a considerable severity during childhood and puberty and major difficulties in their therapeutic management. As far as macroprolactinomas are concerned, surgery is often not resolutive, so that the need for postoperative treatment, consisting of either radiotherapy or bromocriptine, is the rule for tumors with extrasellar extension. In the present manuscript we report two cases of macroprolactinomas in adolescent patients suffering from delayed puberty, short stature and ocular symptoms together with hormonal levels indicating the presence of hypopituitarism. In both patients bromocriptine therapy showed a particular efficacy both in controlling tumor size and growth and in reducing clinical signs and symptoms. We conclude proposing DA-therapy as a first line of management in adolescents affected by macroprolactinomas, even in the presence of neurological symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, University of Rome, La Sapienza, Rome.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minniti
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Jaffrain-Rea
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferretti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gulino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tamburrano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004393:Dwarfism, Pituitary / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006423:Hemianopsia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009886:Ophthalmoplegia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D015175:Prolactinoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D011628:Puberty, Delayed / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D001971:Bromocriptine