title: Be careful... She has a pituitary gland in her nose.
abstract: In this case report we describe a 38 year-old-female with galactorrhea several months after the birth of an anencephalic child. She had hyperpolactemia and imaging of the pituitary gland revealed a midline defect and a nasopharyngeal mass compatible with a meningo-(hypophyso-) encephalocele and possibly an ectopic teratoma or desmoid. She was treated with dopamine agonists for 10 years and after cessation of therapy her prolactin levels remain normal. The nasopharyngeal mass remained unchanged over time and there were no signs of hypopituitarism. The hyperprolactinemia at presentation was probably caused by earlier pregnancy and stalk dysfunction due to traction by the mass. With decline of pituitary size, after starting dopamine agonists, the traction probably reduced resulting in a normal prolactin level. Our patient was warned against manipulation in de nose, because this could damage the meningo-encephalocele. An MRI will be preformed every 2 years to monitor changes in de mass.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section Endocrinology, VU Medical Centre, Postbox 7057, 1007 MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. nrabelink@hotmail.com
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Rabelink
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lips
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Castelijns
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006966:Hyperprolactinemia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D009666:Nose / Q000473:pathology*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists